Success = Serving People

What the Bible says about a Victorious Life- Part 3

Dale Carnegie, a successful speaker and businessman, said he would pay any amount of money to get someone who could work with people. People who live their lives successfully know they need others, and honor them. Here is what Apostle Paul said serving people.

“Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus. (Philippians2:2-5)

You cannot reach your goal without working with people. And to work with others you must be able to serve them. Unsuccessful people make a habit of being disdainful and ungrateful to those who are kind to them and then friendly and grateful to those who are unhelpful to them. Losers take their friends for granted-and suffer for it!! Unless you are a uniquely talented artist or athlete, there is no such thing as success without a network of friends and supporters. Winners are grateful people and show it by serving others.

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, 5 in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.” (Philippians 1:3)

Paul thanks the Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians. He writes an entire chapter in Romans listing over 20 people by name and thanking them.

Before you resolve to loose weight, work less, exercise more, resolve to practice loving God by honoring Him with worship and service, (this can not be done in front of TV.) Get in a good church and begin to worship Him.

Unsuccessful people are routinely rude. They don’t show up on time, they don’t thank givers for gifts, and don’t apologize for slights and wrongs. One guy said, “I like to calculate how late my dinner guest will be by using a success/lateness standard. A guest with a good job, really busy, with heavy weight responsibilities will be on time.

Someone with nothing to do all day well be very late or maybe not show at all. A guy with a low level job that’s going nowhere? Between 15 minutes and an hour late. I can also tell when someone will complain about the food. If he’s a failure, he’ll have a condescending attitude and not thank me for dinner. If he’s a success he’ll be happy with almost anything and thank me graciously.”

When someone wants to be successful but alienates everyone by his rudeness, he sabotages his own future. Maybe billionaires and maharajahs can get away with being rude, but for the rest of the world it is a guaranteed killer.

The apostle Paul knew he needed other people. And he prayed for them and thanked them regularly. I have recently been convicted by the Lord about how I have not done this. My heart was smitten as I began to make a list of all those people who have served so faithfully in our church, those who have helped me personally. It is true –pride believes that I have achieved what in reality God and others have done for me or through me. Winners know that if you are going to achieve what God has for you in this life you need others and you need to express gratitude to them. Just to give us a reality check remember that gratitude is only as sincere as the effort I make to express it. God is into being grateful to people.

“Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well beloved Epaenetus, who is the first fruits of Achaia unto Christ.” (Romans 16: 3-5)

Paul writes a letter and gives thanks not just to God but names specifically Pricilla and Aquila. He says, and had this read publicly as in other places, "I want everyone to know what a blessing P&A are to me. They deserve some honor here!"

I have known people in the past who thought it was “carnal” to give thanks to people and honor them. Paul did not. In fact he spent this entire chapter devoted to thanking and honoring people for who they were to him and what they had done.

God could have left this chapter out of the Bible because it had no doctrine in it, but He did not. It is a blaring sign to us that a truly spiritual man is one who is grateful not just to God but also to those God has used, and he makes the effort to express it openly. I remember my Dad giving me things when I was a new Christian, and often times it was in answer to prayer. I would say "thank you Lord." Finally my Dad said "Hey, boy I gave that to you!!" It began to sink in. We can be soo spiritual.

Living a victorious life includes gratitude. Why don’t you make a list like I did of people who have helped you and blessed you? It will be both humbling and encouraging