Biblical Principles For Success

When it comes to biblical principles for success, God expects Christians to be as crafty and energetic about spiritual things as they are about money and material things.

My car is seven years old and my husband is insisting I look for a new one. Since he travels out of town a lot, he’s hyper-vigilant about my vehicle.

The problem is, I’m not a car buff. There’s not one make or model I’ve ever looked at and wanted for myself. And I have no idea which vehicles are the safest, most economical, etc.

Buying a new car takes a lot of research and effort.

That’s why I’m procrastinating.

Before I buy a new car, I’ll want to know which one will give me the best bang for my buck.

 

 

While trying to motivate myself to investigate online car reviews, I came across something in my Bible that gave me a little jolt.

In essence, I’m not sure I’ve been as careful about spiritual things as I plan to be about my car buying.

Here’s the bottom line:

 

Biblical principles for success

In Luke 16 ,Jesus told His followers about a guy who had mishandled his wealthy boss’s money. When his boss asked for an audit, the guy began to panic.

He quickly considered his options. If he got fired, he’d have to resort to either manual labor or begging in the streets. He didn’t want to do either.

So, he came up with a plan. He called in his boss’s vendors, and then he slashed the amount stated on their invoices.

As a result, the vendors easily paid up what they owed.

 

 

When the guy’s boss showed up, he praised his employee for being so resourceful.

Jesus used this story to make a point.

As believers, we should be as shrewd with our spiritual resources as a non-believer is with worldly things.

Even though I wouldn’t hire the guy as my financial adviser, here biblical principles for success that we can learn from him:

 

1. He knew he would have to give an account.

The guy in the parable knew he didn’t own his boss’s money. Even though he’d been given full control of his boss’s resources, he had to give an account for what he did with them.

God owns absolutely everything.

We can be squeaking by on less than minimum wage or floating on a brand-new $154 million basketball contract, but the bottom line is, God owns it all. And the Bible says every single one of us will have to give an account for what He’s given us to manage.

Like the guy in the parable, we’ve been placed in a position that requires trust and confidence. But if we’re honest, most of us would have to admit we’re guilty of some waste and mismanagement.

One of the best biblical principles for success is the learn to love the Giver more than His gifts.

With or without a big house, a nice car, or a purse that equals a mortgage note, we can be content when we know the Giver of all that we have. Knowing Him is worth more than anything on this earth.

The more we grow to love the Giver, the more we’ll want to use His gifts to make Him known.

 

Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy.

 

1 Timothy 6:17

 

2. He used what he had today to make his future secure.

The guy in the parable didn’t want to end up having to sweat or beg for money.  So he used his smarts to make sure he didn’t have to.

Whether our finances are tight or abundant, one of the biblical principles for success is to use them to prepare for a more secure future.

Not long ago, a couple very dear to me faced some hard times. They’d been working hard, living frugally, and saving money. But within the span of a few months, their finances were depleted by circumstances that simply happened.

First, they had to replace their roof after a hurricane blew through town and dislodged hundreds of shingles. Then they had to rebuild an engine when a head gasket blew out on their older car. In the meantime, an impending medical bill loomed before the soon-coming arrival of their much-anticipated new baby.

None of those incidents were foreseeable. All of them required huge sums of money.

To complicate matters, the husband was pastoring a brand new church and his income was up in the air.

They could have bailed on the church plant and sought a position with a more predictable salary, but they decided to stick it out. Instead of seeking a new job that would have made their current lives more comfortable, they chose to use what they had with an eye on eternity.

Wealth and success

Like the guy in the parable, they were crafty and diligent. They adjusted their budget where they could and got creative with their money so they could afford the expenses that were looming.

In short, they decided it was worth it to live less lavishly now so they could invest in inviting others to join them in a Kingdom that will never end.

So, even if they’re never rich in this life, they’ll be rich in the age to come.

That’s what Jesus was talking about when He said to be smart with our resources.

Besides money, we have other resources to consider. We’ve been given talents, passions, creativity, and spiritual gifts. And they can all be used to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, to encourage other Christians, and to help other people.

 

Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good reserve for the age to come, so that they may take hold of life that is real.

 

1 Timothy 6:18-19