Every human being on earth has a desire to be successful in life. We are born with an innate desire to grow, develop, and accomplish something great during our short time here. Some are born in poverty with every excuse in the world to fail. Instead, they go on to become great examples of how to overcome any challenge in life. Others are born into riches with every opportunity to succeed. Yet, many of these individuals live a life well below their potential, settling for mediocrity in all areas. I previously discussed what the Bible teaches about our “Success Guarantee,” explaining how we are born for success. Many still never take hold of this guarantee. I want to help explain exactly why this is according to a single principle from the Bible. Let’s discuss the one requirement for success in life.
Stewardship
The one principle that you will find consistently throughout the Bible is that of stewardship. A steward is another word for manager, and is simply defined as someone who looks after another’s property. In discussing the Success Guarantee You Possess, we reviewed how God planted a garden, watered it, and made the trees grow with pleasant and fulfilling fruit. If you read all of Genesis 2, you will also find rivers and precious metals that were there in the garden as well. This was essentially paradise prepared for man before he was required to do a single task. So, what was the one task that God gave to the man?
“God took the Man and set him down in the Garden of Eden to work the ground and keep it in order.”
Genesis 2:15 (MSG)
One might think this seems like a difficult task, however, understand that God had already completed the hard work. The man’s job at that point was just to “maintain” what was already accomplished. Thus, we are to do the same in every area of our lives.
Each of us has been given gifts, talents, and abilities that we did not have to work for. We were simply born with them without our own doing. Some may have been born into a home with a good, loving family. Others have received an education at no expense. Regardless of your unique situation, someone else, even God Himself, has given you a head start on life in some way, even if you don’t realize it. The one requirement you have, even if it is the worst of circumstances, is to steward, or manage, your current state in life. By doing so, you will put yourself in position to attract success into your life.
Small Things Matter
Good management is the key to success in life, but it isn’t limited to the major things as we may be led to believe. Typically, we think about our money or our job when we consider being a better manager of our possessions. Even then, we limit the requirement for good management to those with lots of money or very high positions. Some have said things like, “If I had a million dollars I would…” The key to being a good steward is to do today what you would use to finish that sentence. It’s the same with money, job, house, car, marriage, children, relationships, or anything else that requires you to be a good steward. Here’s a principle found in the Bible, spoken by Jesus Christ,
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.“
Luke 16:10 (NLT)
This is so very important but missed by many. We say to ourselves that we will keep that new car so clean if we could just afford to buy it. I can assure you, if your current car isn’t clean, the new one will most likely not be either. We are creatures of habit, and if you don’t take the time to make good stewardship a habit, you will continue to manage your life the same.
Start Today
Start today to take an evaluation of your life. Look at your money, job, marriage, children, property, and anything else that you have responsibility over. When you look around do you see excellence in all areas? The answer for most will likely be no or that it’s a work in progress. Very seldom does someone have it all managed perfectly, but the key is to make excellent management a vital part of your life. You will find that by doing so, you will be given opportunities to manage more. If bad management becomes a habit in your life, you will find that you tend to lose responsibilities and opportunities. Always remember, small things matter. Develop the habit of excellent management in everything you are responsible for and you will see every area of your life begin to flourish.
If you would like me to pray for you, feel free to submit your request here, and share with someone you know by following me on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. Let’s start your journey to becoming more.
