How To Achieve Success
Self-denial. Delayed gratification. I know, not exactly the best thoughts to draw readers in.
How’s this, then…Success! The way to prosperity!
Trouble is, most people think self-denial and success are diametrically opposed to each another. And that’s why success is a fleeting prospect. In reality, the two are inseparable. There is no success without sacrifice…in any aspect of life! Many people never succeed in areas of life that matter to them because they are unwilling to sacrifice.
It doesn’t seem to make sense that the only way to get things is by denying yourself things. But it’s true.
Becoming a skilled musician takes self-denial (if you only practice when you feel like it, you’ll never be good). Developing a good marriage or effectively raising kids takes self-denial. Becoming an athlete who excels takes self-denial. Achieving excellence at work takes self-denial (office gossip, the urge to procrastinate, the snooze button to get in early, etc.). If you want financial independence, you’re going to have to say “no” to a lot of things (cars, toys, too much house, the latest of whatever, etc.). Success in any venture takes sacrifice.
But today, instant gratification is at our disposal. You don’t have to wait to get new furniture, you can just put it on your Visa. You don’t have to wait to get married for sex, it's now okay to just do it with your girlfriend. You don’t have to save for a nice car, if you can breathe, you can get a car loan. But all that instant gratification has a price tag: spoiled relationships and years of debt.
Jesus taught us that the ultimate success in life depends on our willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice — our lives! He said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34 ESV). He also said, “If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life” (Matthew 16:25 NLT). Jesus taught that to achieve the ultimate success in life, intimacy with God, it’s going to take some serious self-denial.
Maybe that’s why Paul used the analogy of an athlete working out in the gym to describe spiritual growth. He said, “Exercise yourself toward godliness…” and then explained, “Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next” (1 Timothy 4:7-8).
It takes sacrifice to develop your relationship with God. Lots of it. But Paul was right — the results are eternally worth it!