I don’t know about you, but I have a tendency to be easily impressed by people who seemingly have it all together: those who have apparently reached the ‘top of their game’ and display the hallmarks of success. Yet, when I look at certain passages of the Bible, I realise that success in worldly terms comes with its own pitfalls. James, the brother of Jesus, in his often blunt and confrontational style, says to those who reckon that they have it all sorted: ‘Now listen, you who say, “Tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow … instead you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will’ (James 4:13-16).
Following our will over the will of God is definitely the easy option and, to make it worse, it is often shaped by the advice of others, who seem to know exactly how we should be living! To by-pass a walk of godly obedience in favour of the pursuit of earthly treasure … well, that is a broad road to be avoided at all costs! I concluded a long time ago that the will of God for us is tailor-made for us, and His idea of success is measured against a life that has been lived in closeness to His plan and no-one else’s.