SUCCESS ...

What is it? How do you define it for your life?

This word comes up often in our thinking and our conversations with others. As a Christ-follower we often struggle when we are confronted with this word in our lives and ministries.

I think a lot of us struggle with how to define "success" in our lives. For Christmas my wife gave me a copy of the book "The Winners Manual" written by Jim Tressel, head football coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes (go Buckeyes!!!). I had read through this book earlier (my wife had secured me a copy from our public library - my wife takes great care of me). It was so good that I decided I would like to have a copy of my own to reread and to mark up. In this book Coach Tressel attempts to answer the question, "What does it really mean to be a winner?" On the book jacket, Coach Tressel, states "We call it the Winners Manual - a personal playbook for success (I added the empahsis here), filled with insights on what it takes to be a winner in the game of life from some of the greatest coaches, athletes, winners, thinkers, and leaders in the world." There is that word "success" again. I don't have what I would consider to be a great definition of what success is but I do know that I want to do all I can to be the person that Jesus wants me to be in living for and in serving Him. So, that's why I'll continue my journey in life and in search of "success" from a biblical point of view.

By the way, I just happened to "catch" part of a message last night by Ed Young, Senior Pastor of Fellowship Church in Dallas, TX. He defined success as "walking and living in the will of God daily." I think that is one of the best definitions of success for a Christ-follower that I've heard. What do you think?

By the way, why don't you purchase a copy of "The Winners Manual" and let me know what you think of it???

-rwsmith