Cum să fii un creștin de succes

Am destul succes? Trăim într-un timp în care oamenii sunt încurajați activ să-și pună des această întrebare. Cum pot fi mai deștept, mai bogat, mai atractiv? Cum pot să obțin un job mai bun, să câștig mai mulți bani și să îmi permit un stil de viață mai luxos?

Dar, ca creștini, noi ar trebui să ne întrebăm: Au aceste lucruri vreo tangență cu succesul?

Căutarea lucrurilor temporare

Biblia nici nu încurajează, nici nu interzice oamenilor de a fi bogați, deștepți sau atractivi. Isus a invitat atât pe bogat cât și pe sărac să fie ucenicul Lui, dar El subliniază faptul că ceea ce este considerat „succes” în această lume este total irelevant pentru chemarea noastră cerească.

Isus spune:  „Nu vă strângeţi comori pe pământ, unde le mănâncă moliile şi rugina şi unde le sapă şi le fură hoţii; ci strângeţi-vă comori în cer, unde nu le mănâncă moliile şi rugina şi unde hoţii nu le sapă, nici nu le fură. Pentru că unde este comoara voastră, acolo va fi şi inima voastră.” Matei 6:19-21.

Mulți oameni azi se concentrează pe obținerea comorilor pământești – cinste și un anume stil de viață. Noi suntem condiționați de societate să obținem aceste lucruri, și

Many people today are focused on attaining earthly treasures, honor or a certain lifestyle. We are conditioned by society to achieve these things, and to attain them is what most people consider “success.” But, God’s Word tells us these things will pass away; they don’t actually hold any value in eternity.

Whom do you serve?

This doesn’t mean that we should neglect our studies, career or business. On the contrary, we are encouraged to use our talents and gifts for the good, within our measure of our faith. In Colossians 3:23 Paul also exhorts us to do everything heartily as unto the Lord. This means that we should be sincere and diligent people who are committed to whatever task is in front of us. God can use individuals with such a mindset, those who have action power and are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:14)

But, the problem comes when we seek to serve ourselves instead of the Living God in our lives, when we become preoccupied with exalting ourselves and becoming something great in this world, instead of doing everything wholeheartedly for Him. In Matthew 6:24 Jesus says, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” In other words, we can’t serve God and at the same time be absorbed with trying to be something great in this world.

A focus on things of worth

Instead of being absorbed by temporal things, allowing ourselves to be driven by selfish ambition and conceit, we can have our focus on things of worth! We can seek the things that are above and are of true value in eternity. Think how different it is to pursue God’s honor, instead of the honor that comes from people, to “…pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart,” instead of earthly riches! (2 Timothy 2:22) These things are of eternal worth; they are not corrupted, nor do they pass away. And people who pursue such goals in life will never be anxious or disappointed.

True success is to attain Christ’s virtues in our lives, to come to godly nature. There is nothing more valuable than this! And God promises that it will succeed for us if we obey His Word in our lives, with sincerity of heart. (Joshua 1:8) May we strive to be successful Christians, not seeking to attain things that are great in this world, but pursuing godliness in our lives.

“… as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.” 2 Peter 1:3-7.