Finding Significance

Most people today equate success with the security of a job that provides for a comfortable living.  This can certainly be a degree of success, but I have known many people who had achieved that goal and yet felt something was lacking.  I have experienced that reality in my own life and it is one of the motivations that led me to start the "Seeds For Success" seminar and blog.

As I have stated before, here is what I believe true success is all about:  "It is achieving an inner peace which is a gift from God that comes from a correct understanding of how He has made us and who we were meant to be; what is our true purpose in this life and the pursuit and work to fulfill that purpose."  When we gain an understanding of who we are and what we are meant to accomplish in this life, we realize our significance which ultimately comes from God.

An outstanding book that I would highly recommend is There's More To Life Than Making A Living by Jack C. McDowell.  He develops and reinforces the point I am making.  He emphasizes the fact that we need to find our calling not just a career.  Here is a statement he makes on this subject:  "Your calling is how you best use all God has given you - talents, passion, resources, opportunities and experience - to serve His gracious purposes in the world."

Pause a moment and take stock of the realities of your life.  Reflect on what are your talents, what are you passionate about and what are the resources and opportunities available to you.  Then get to work on moving towards the life of significance  God wants for you.

"The nurture of your soul is finally a more important part of your calling than obtaining marketable skills."  -  Leland Ryken

Building On The Right Foundation

As a young teenager of sixteen, my first real job was that of a laborer for a construction company.  One of the main tasks we did was to dig foundations for buildings.  Today machines have taken the place of this kind of manual work. It was hard work and it made a real impression on me.  I realized then and there that I was going to pursue a quest to secure a good job with an appropriate income.

The most important lesson I learned was a lot about the importance and the critical nature of a foundation.  I discovered that the best possible foundation is one that is laid on top of solid rock.  This is always the ideal.  The classic example is the construction on Manhatten Island where the entire island is solid granite rock.

Poor foundations may not be seen but in time the problems they create will surface.  As a person builds their life they too need to build it on the right foundation.  There is only one truly right foundation in this life and that is the solid rock of Jesus Christ.  As the Bible makes clear - all other foundations are like sand - they will fail in the end.  

We all will experience problems and crises in this life and only those whose life is built on Christ will be able to weather these storms.  Above all else, seek Christ and His kingdom first and all the other things will fall into place.

"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock."  (Matthew 7:24, 25) NKJV

The Art of Patience

One of the characteristics of God, the Bible tells us, is that of patience.  God is never in a hurry.  He has a plan and He is carrying it out right on time, both for the entire creation and for each individual.  We all need to develop patience and model that patience in ourselves more after God.

In order to become successful, we need to learn that patience is an essential quality that will help us reach our goals and stay balanced.  Patience calls for  a determination to reach a goal with calmness.  Anything we attempt to do is going to take time.  Most things require a number of steps to accomplish and don't happen quickly.  Often as we move through the process to accomplish something, we learn and see things that prevent us from making  mistakes.  The old saying, 'haste makes waste,' is still very true.  Being patient helps you enjoy the journey and better appreciate when the task or goal is realized.

Patience is not to be confused with inaction.  We need to continually be responding to the changing conditions around us, and we need to stay proactive.  But as we act on things, we need to apply patience.  Our modern culture has brought the opportunity to become multi-tasking and provides a fantastic opportunity to be busy.  This blessing can also become a curse if we don't balance it with patience and restraint.

Using What You Have

Many people fail to realize the potential God has given them because they stay preoccupied with things they don't have while overlooking the things they do have.  Another way to put it, they are not resourceful.  Being resourceful is made up of a number of qualities.  It begins with a person using common sense to accept the given circumstances and adjust their goal to what is currently possible.  It also involves being creative by utilizing what you have on hand to get a task accomplished. It is amazing what can be done with limited resources when we employ our imagination and ingenuity.

A famous example of this was what occurred on the Apollo 13 flight.  After an inspace explosion, the situation looked grim for the three astronauts.  Without a fix on the machine that filtered carbon dioxide, eventually they would die.  The people at Houston Control began an urgent attempt to see if they could create something that would solve the problem making use of components and parts available from the space capsule.  After an exhaustive and trying team effort, they came up with a device that saved the day - and the lives of three astronauts.

Life brings with it limitations, problems and challenges.  Those who develop the quality of being resourceful are those people who become successful by continually producing ways to meet goals and objectives.


"Resourcefulness is using one's wits, proper judgment and common sense to solve problems and meet challenges.  It is using initiative in difficult situations, and it involves inventing, creating, imagining, synthesizing, evaluating, classifying, observing and analyzing solutions to overcome the trials that life throws at us.  Resourcefulness is dreaming up ways to meet our goals."
(Coach John Wooden)

Adapting To Change

As I have referenced before, reading good books is one of the essential activities that is required to become successful.   One such book is titled Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, MD.  It is a book that helps people learn how to deal with "change."  It is a simple little story, a quick read, but one that is loaded with sound advice and solid instruction on how to embrace the conditions of change that face us all.

Change is one of God's gifts to mankind.  He has given us intelligence and energy so we can continue to improve and grow in how we live our daily lives.  Change is part of life - it begins from childhood experiences until we reach old age.  Change can be exciting at times and at other times frightening.  Some people handle change better than others.  No one likes unexpected or sudden change.  Many people prefer little or no change.  They like their routine and become set in their ways.  When change happens, they resist it.  Some pretend it is not happening and do nothing to adjust to the change.  Many are slow to respond to change.

The message of this outstanding book can be summed up with these key points:

• Change Happens
• Anticipate Change
• Monitor Change
• Adapt to Change Quickly
• Change
• Enjoy Change
• Be Ready to Quickly Change Again and Again

Only those who master the art of change can ever be truly successful.

Organize For Success

Anyone who has ever had the opportunity to work at or tour a manufacturing facility cannot miss the impressive setup and organization these establishments display.  In order to become highly efficient in what they are producing, it is critical that everything necessary in the way of parts or components is close at hand and all the tools and equipment needed are available.  Manufacturing companies continually make improvements so they can boost their output and at a lower cost.

This same concept is also critical for anyone who is serious about becoming successful.  Once a person begins to understand who they are, how God has made them and what talents and abilities they have been given, it is then time to begin the hard work and planning necessary to develop and hone those attributes.  As a person forms a vision of where they want to go and what they want to pursue, it is essential that they organize for the task ahead.

To begin, here are a few tips on things to consider:

• Organize a place to work
• Pull together the items you need to get started
• Start building a reference library on your subject
• Work on a Life Mission Statement
• Set some goals and lay out a strategy to attain those goals
• Establish a timetable
• Ask friends and family for advice
• And last, but by far the most important, pray for guidance and direction from God

The Importance Of Practice

The 2012 Summer Olympics opened this week in London, England, with the customary parade of athletes from all participating nations.  For every one of these athletes, their participation marked the culminations of years and years of practice.  For many this quest had begun when they were only youngsters and they had been required to invest thousands of hours of hard work and repetitive exercises in order to move up to the level of an Olympian.

No one becomes successful without the discipline of practice.  The development of skills always involves practice.  This is one of the reasons discovering your giftedness and talents is so critical.  When people attempt to do somethings they were not meant to do, they almost never have the commitment and desire to practice.  They also become discouraged because they experience little or no progress.

Practice is hard work.  It requires an investment of time and energy.  It is, by definition, repetitive and at times can be boring and sometimes even frustration.  It is a slow process which requires that you keep your mind on the desired goal.

We continually need to be reminded - there are no shortcuts to biblical success.  It is part of God's plan.  Many times the practice is more important for our lives than reaching the goal.


"As the Holy Spirit leads and directs us and as we develop our skills through practice, we grow and produce fruit."  Basics for Believers Vol. 2, pp. 38-139