Success in life is something we all strive for. We want to achieve our goals, fulfill our purpose, and make a positive difference in the world. As Christians, we know that true success comes from living in alignment with God’s will and walking closely with Him each day. When we put God first in everything we do, He will guide our steps and bless our efforts.
In this post, we’ll explore biblical principles for achieving success with God by your side. We’ll look at what scripture teaches about setting goals, working hard, relying on God’s strength, serving others, and more. With God’s help, you can experience victory in every area of life.
Key Takeaways:
- Make God your top priority in everything
- Set goals in line with God’s purpose for you
- Work hard using the talents God gave you
- Rely on God’s strength instead of your own
- Serve others with a humble spirit
- Trust God’s timing and path for your life
- Stay connected to God through prayer and studying the Bible
- Allow God to prune away distractions and sins
- Don’t compare yourself to others, run your own race
- Let go of past failures and press on towards Christ
- Keep an eternal perspective on what true success means
Make God Your Top Priority
The first key to success in life with God is making Him your top priority. Jesus taught that we must “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33 NKJV). When we put God first, aligning our will with His and pursuing intimacy with Him, everything else will fall into place. Success in other areas starts with seeking God above all else.
This means making time for prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other believers on a daily basis. It may require rearranging your schedule and saying no to some commitments in order to set aside quality time with the Lord. But Jesus promises that when we put His priorities first, He will provide for our needs and bless the work of our hands.
As Psalm 127:1 (NKJV) states, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.” Our human efforts are meaningless without God’s oversight and empowerment. The key is staying connected to God so He can guide us, transform us, and work through us. Living in fellowship with Him needs to be our highest aim.
Set Goals in Line with God’s Purpose
The second principle for success is setting goals that align with God’s purposes for your life. God created you with unique gifts, talents, and interests – and He has a custom-designed plan for how He wants to use you to advance His kingdom. When you steward your life well according to His strategy, you’ll experience His blessing and favor.
Ask God to reveal His specific purpose and calling on your life. As you set goals, check to make sure they line up with the direction God is leading you. Your goals should facilitate love, joy, peace, fulfillment and fruitfulness – not just personal comfort or worldly achievement. God may reshape your goals and priorities as you seek Him above all else.
For example, 1 Corinthians 7:17 (NKJV) says, “God has distributed to each one, as He wills.” Rather than copying others, ask God how He wants to use your life in particular. Then set Biblical, prayerful goals that reflect His individual plan for you. This is how you’ll thrive in fulfilling your divine purpose.
Work Hard Using Your Talents
Now that you’ve set God-given goals, the next principle is working hard to achieve them using the talents and abilities God gave you. Success doesn’t just happen automatically – you need to take action and apply sustained effort. The Bible commends hard work and warns against laziness many times.
Colossians 3:23 (NKJV) instructs: “Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” Work hard not just to please your boss or to earn more money, but as service to honor the Lord. He will reward your efforts when done for Him.
Part of working hard is stewarding your talents and abilities rather than burying them. In the Parable of the Talents, Jesus tells of a master who entrusted his servants with different amounts of money. The ones who invested and multiplied the money were praised, while the servant who hid his talent was scolded for failing to use it (Matthew 25:14-30 NKJV).
God gave you specific talents – whether teaching, engineering, communication, music, or any number of other gifts. Use them fully for His glory rather than hiding them away without impact. With God’s help, you can develop your talents to reach their full potential for Kingdom success.
Rely on God’s Strength
One of the biggest keys to success in life is relying on God’s strength rather than trying to succeed in your own power. When you recognize that lasting victory comes through the Holy Spirit working in and through you, pressure is taken off of you. You can rest, knowing that God will empower you beyond your natural abilities.
Jesus told His disciples in John 15:5 (NKJV), “Without Me you can do nothing.” But He didn’t stop there – He followed it with this promise: “If anyone abides in Me, he will bear much fruit.” As you walk closely with Jesus through prayer and studying the Bible, He will pour His supernatural strength into your weaknesses.
The Apostle Paul said of his own ministry success: “By the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15:10 NKJV). He knew that he couldn’t take credit for accomplishments that God had worked through him. Stay humble and acknowledge your dependence on God’s strength, not your own, so you don’t burn out.
As Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV) declares, “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles.” Rely on the Lord daily and He will empower you to rise above your circumstances and soar.
Serve Others with a Humble Spirit
The world promotes self-centered ambition where you push others down to get ahead. But Jesus taught a different approach to success – one centered on serving others with humility. The path He requires leads to greatness through lowering yourself and lifting others up.
After washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus told them, “Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant” (Matthew 20:26 NKJV). Rather than jockeying for position, look for ways to humbly serve the people around you. Put others’ needs before your own.
Sometimes God’s plan requires setting aside your own dreams at present in order to selflessly bless others. Paul gave up his agenda to become “all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22 NKJV). Ask God to show you when to lay down your own interests to serve those in need.
Approaching life as a servant keeps your heart soft and moldable for God to work through. He then lifts you up and exalts you at the proper time. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up,” promises James 4:10 (NKJV). Keep serving in humility.
Trust God’s Timing and Path
One difficult but essential lesson in achieving success God’s way is trusting His timing and path rather than imposing your own. God sees the full picture and knows what must take place first to prepare you for future responsibilities. Rather than rushing the process, wait patiently on Him even through detours and delays.
David waited years between being anointed as king and actually assuming the throne. God was developing David’s character during the waiting period – which prepared him to lead well. We must trust God’s timing on when to open and close doors.
In addition to waiting on God’s timing, we have to accept that His path for our lives may look different than what we envisioned. But His plans will ultimately lead to greater blessing and fruitfulness than ours. “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future'” (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV).
When God moves you down an unexpected path, continue to walk in obedience. Don’t insist on your own way. Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV) says, “‘My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’ Says the Lord.” Let God lead you on the journey He has perfectly designed for you.
Stay Connected to God
Intimacy with God is the foundation for living successfully by His standards. To stay aligned with His purpose and empowered by His Spirit, you need to nurture an ongoing connection with Him through prayer and studying the Bible. Let these spiritual disciplines be your source of guidance and strength.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NKJV) tells us to “pray without ceasing.” Keep the communication lines open all day long through praise, confession, thanksgiving, and asking for help. Turn to Him immediately whenever challenges arise. Bring all your decisions before Him.
In addition to unceasing prayer, you need the nourishment and renewal of God’s Word. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,” says Matthew 4:4 (NKJV). Reading the Bible equips you for success by washing your mind in Kingdom principles and aligning your thoughts with God’s thoughts.
Carve out daily quiet time to read the Word, be still before Him, and listen for His voice. This is how you’ll stay tuned in to His will and walk in step with His Spirit. Stay connected.
Allow God to Prune Away Distractions
As you seek God first each day, submit to His pruning process to remove anything hindering your fruitfulness. Just as a gardener prunes away dead branches so good fruit can grow, God will cut away distracting or harmful influences in your life. Trust His pruning even when it hurts.
Hebrews 12:10-11 (NKJV) explains, “For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.” Let God prune away unhelpful relationships, time-wasters, or even good things that are keeping you from His best.
Part of His pruning may involve removing besetting sins you struggle with. “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness,” James 1:21 (NKJV) exhorts. Allow the Holy Spirit to cleanse you and create a clean heart within you. Eliminating distractions and sins frees you to live in His freedom and bear fruit.
Don’t Compare Yourself to Others
It’s tempting to look at what others around you are achieving and to compare yourself. But this leads only to unhealthy competition, jealousy, and pride. The path to success with God requires keeping your eyes on your own lane to fulfill His plans, not anyone else’s.
Galatians 6:4 (NKJV) instructs, “Let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.” Run the race that is uniquely marked out for you, without comparing yourself. Keeping up with others or surpassing them should not be your goal.
God does not measure success by outward achievement as humans do. Your calling is to focus on walking in obedience to how He leads you each day – even if your work seems small. Stay faithful in the assignments He gives you without worrying whether others are doing more or less. Comparing distorts your view.
You are a special creation of the Creator with your own destiny. Keep your eyes fixed on Him as you run the race He prepared for you alone. Fulfilling God’s individual purpose is what brings genuine success.
Let Go of Past Failures
As you strive to succeed with God, don’t allow past failures or sins to drag you down or determine your future. While consequences may linger, God offers complete forgiveness and the chance for a fresh start. Keep pressing forward in His strength.
The Apostle Paul testified in Philippians 3:13-14 (NKJV), “One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal.” Don’t let failures from yesterday pull you back from what God has for you tomorrow.
God parted the Red Sea for the Israelites, but when they focused on past slavery in Egypt they lost sight of His promises ahead. Don’t let yourself long for the past. Jesus already paid the price for your sins and failures. Now move ahead into the new life He purchased for you.
You can’t succeed in life with God if you drag regrets from years ago around with you. Accept His mercy and move forward in freedom. “If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed,” Jesus assures in John 8:36 (NKJV). Leave the past in the past.
Keep an Eternal Perspective
The definition of success with God looks different than success in the world’s eyes. Earthly success centers on prestige, wealth, conquests, and leaving a legacy. But Kingdom success revolves around fulfilling God’s purposes, trusting in Christ alone, and storing up eternal treasures.
Keep in mind that this life is fleeting, but eternity awaits all of us. Hebrews 11:13-16 (NKJV) commends those who saw themselves as “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” and focused on reaching their eternal home. Don’t lose or compromise your soul in pursuit of temporary earthly gain.
While giving your work and talents to God, remember that knowing Christ is your highest calling. Paul said, “I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8 NKJV). Build your life around becoming more like Jesus and walking in God’s perfect will.
With an eternal perspective, you can walk the straight and narrow path that leads to life even when earthly goals don’t work out. Keep your eyes on the eternal prize to stay true to success God’s way.
Conclusion
Success with God looks much different than the world’s definition. It centers on pursuing intimacy with Him, fulfilling your purpose, trusting in His strength, serving others, and storing up eternal rewards. As you make God your priority, rely on His Spirit, align your goals with His purposes, work hard, and stay focused on eternity, you’ll experience His best blessings and fruitfulness.
Walking closely with God each day is the key to victory. Stay connected through prayer and studying the Word. Allow Him to prune distractions from your life so you can follow His plans wholeheartedly. Let go of past failures or sins, keep your eyes on your own lane, and don’t lose sight of the eternal perspective.
With these principles guiding you, you can succeed in living a God-honoring life that makes an eternal impact. May your relationship with Him grow deeper every day!
