How to succeed

More and more often I am quizzed as to what it takes to be successful. I really never think of myself in terms of being successful, but I suppose as I approach retirement age and after all things considered, one might say I have been successful in many ways. As I take inventory of my life at this stage, (the “golden” years), first and foremost I look to my spiritual status. I love the Lord, I am happy and I have peace in my life. As for family status, I have been happily married for 35 years. I have two wonderful, happy, well-adjusted college graduate sons who are married to wonderful gals that I love very much. I have twin grand-daughters on the way. Our family is a loving family and additionally I have been blessed with a multitude of friends and not that many enemies. My health has overall been good. As for finance and material things, I have accumulated some wealth. As for career, it has been very rewarding.

At 24 years of age I hitch-hiked into Atlanta “completely” penniless, dirty and homeless, drug addicted, mean, totally alone in the world with no friends and/or family that I could turn to, and worst of all I had absolutely no relationship with God. I came to know and love the Lord soon thereafter, then I met my wife and got married, and I worked very hard to bring about change from my formerly miserable existence. Through the years I became an entrepreneur and eventually started my first successful business on nothing more than a hope, a prayer, and one credit card with a ridiculously low limit. I worked extremely hard with long brutal hours and the Lord blessed my efforts. Eventually I founded seven successful companies that were built from the ground up. The last and final business, Horizon, has proven to be very successful with tremendous employees, products and services and best of all for me I get to work with my family daily in it.


All in all as I reflect upon it, I guess things could be much worse and perhaps I am somewhat qualified to offer an opinion on what it takes to be successful.

HmmmmFirst I would like to say that being successful in life is ENTIRELY dependent upon your relationship with the Lord. As evidence in my own situation, before I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior I was an abject failure at everything and just the opposite of what I enjoy today. I cannot emphasize enough that my relationship with the Lord is the entire reason that I have enjoyed the success that I have enjoyed. Without Him I was a disaster and it was only getting worse. When I got down on my knees and accepted His love for me, He lifted me up and dusted me off. On my own I made a mess of my life; God straightened me out and cleaned up the mess.

My formula for success requires the following:
1. One must live for the Lord
2. Walk in the word
3. Stand for the Savior at every opportunity

I try to do all of the foregoing to the best of my ability; however anyone who really knows me knows that I am not always successful and far too often I fall far short in one or more areas. We all succumb to temptation and have our weaknesses including me; however I do not stay in that mode and when I stumble which seems far too often I ask for God’s forgiveness, strength, and guidance in succeeding.

My advice: make the Lord your number one priority and just see what a difference He will make in your life. Study the Bible daily and as you pray ask the Lord to bring about a better understanding of His word every day. Try your utmost to live a life as He intends for you to live as laid out in His Holy Word combined with daily prayer and meditation. He will bless you as you have never been blessed.

Take it from this old worn out grey-headed man as I have been there and done that. Our almighty God and Creator of all stands ready to adopt us lowly creatures of flesh “just as we are”, full of shortcomings and weaknesses, as His sons and daughters and then we become heirs to His kingdom through Christ. It just doesn’t get any better than that folksIf you are in agreement with me, then take number three to heart. “Stand for the Savior at every opportunity”. Tell others of what He has done for you. You can start today. Have you witnessed to anyone today? Then time is a-wasting?

Romans 8:14
For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.
For you did not receive the spirit
of bondage again to fear, but you
received the Spirit of adoption by
whom we cry out, Abba, Father.
The Spirit Himself bears witness
with our spirit that we are children
of God,
and if children, then heirs
heirs of God and joint heirs with
Christ, if indeed we suffer with
Him, that we may also be glorified
together.