Myth, 36

~ Success Is A Result of Hard Work ~

The General Reality  ~  This concept is partly true.  It is true that hard work is not only necessary but often rewarded with a degree of success.  But this is not a formula that always work.  One can work very hard at doing the wrong thing and then be puzzled at the lack of desired results.  One can be very efficiently doing the wrong thing but unless they are working effectively towards the desired goal they will be disappointed. 

The Spiritual Reality  ~  When we consider the spiritual realm we understand that everything, including every outcome, is dependent upon a sovereign God! 

Scripture  ~  Arguably, the Apostle Paul accomplished more for the Church than any other person.  Consider his testimony.  “And that’s about it, friends.  Be glad in God!  I don’t mind repeating what I have written in earlier letters, and I hope you don’t mind hearing it again.  Better safe than sorry — so here goes.  

Steer clear of the barking dogs, those religious busybodies, all bark and no bite.  All they’re interested in is appearances — knife-happy circumcisers, I call them.  The real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at this ministry, filling the air with Christ’s praise as we do it.  We couldn’t carry this off by our own efforts, and we know it — even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials.  You know my pedigree: a legitimate birth, circumcised on the eighth day; an Israelite from the elite tribe of Benjamin; a strict and devout adherent to God’s law; a fiery defender of the purity of my religion, even to the point of persecuting Christians; a meticulous observer of everything set down in God’s law Book.  The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash — along with everything else I used to take credit for.  And why?  Because of Christ.  Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life.  Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant — dog dung.  I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him.  I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ — God’s righteousness.

I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience His resurrection power, be a partner in His suffering, and go all the way with Him to death itself.  If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it” (Philippians 3:1-11, msg).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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