Passing The Baton

Like most people, I have been watching the 2016 Olympics every chance I get, and I'm blown away by the extraordinary performance of the athletes - even the losers. To me, they appear almost superhuman. And as I watched Usain Bolt, the athletic phenomenon, capture another gold medal in the men's 4 x 100 m relay, a thought ran through my mind. What if the person passing the baton was a second too late, or what if he stumbled and fell? The thought confirmed something I already knew. We all need someone to depend on. No one man - or woman - however great, achieves success on his/her own strength.

This is proven in the lives of many great men in the Bible. Moses had Joshua, Elijah had Elisha, the Apostle Paul had Barnabas and even Jesus depended on His disciples - especially Peter, James and John - to assist Him in His work. Just as these great men supported and received support from trusted individuals, so too we should train ourselves to be dependable. Those with whom we live and work should be able to count on us to do what we are supposed to do, when we are supposed to do it. And we in turn should not be selfish with our gifts, but should be willing to pass them on to others the way Elijah passed his mantle over to Elisha, and Jesus did with His disciples. He said to them, "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father" (John 14: 11).

 So, can you pass that baton, or grab it when it comes to you? Whatever your situation in life may be, you are needed. If you feel that you are lacking, ask the Holy Spirit to equip you to fulfill the role that is expected of you. You may never be a Usain Bolt, but you can be part of a formidable team that runs the race to victory.

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The Price Of Success

This past week the world was saddened by the loss of yet another superstar. As if you didn't know it already, the singer popularly known as Prince passed away last Thursday. He was only 57. While the cause of death is not yet known, fans mourn the star's passing at such an early age. Like Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and many others, the lament "gone too soon," will be heard over and over. Were illicit drugs involved? We don't know. ABC news said that a full report, including toxicology, will take weeks to be released.

Whatever the cause of the singer's death, we know one thing for sure. Prince was hugely successful on the world stage, but did he pay the ultimate price of success? An early death? A life of pain - physical as well as emotional? Loneliness? Dependency? Elvis Presley, one of the best known performers of all times, died  a very lonely man. Surely, success must have its benefits, otherwise people would not strive for it. So, what is your definition of success? Is it money, fame, possessions, admirers?

Denzel Washington, one of the most successful actors, sums it up this way:  "Success? I don't know what that word means. I'm happy. But success, that goes back to what in somebody's eyes success means. For me, success is inner peace. That's a good day for me."

And Albert Einsten, scientist and philosopher stated, "Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value."

And what does the Bible say?

 In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him.1 Samuel 18: 14

As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.2 Chronicles 26: 5

He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, Proverbs 2: 7

 God wants you to be successful, but His success is not the kind that brings pain and misery. God doesn't want us to be dependent on anything, or anyone - not even ourselves - but only on Him.

 His formula for success is written in Joshua 1 : 8: Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 

Do you desire to be successful? By meditating on God's word and seeking His will for your life you will have good success.