Successful Living
In today’s world, there is a constant insatiable craving for success that we cannot ignore. Everyone is on the run to establish his/her own significance in society and hoist the banner of their own individuality to prove their worth. Regardless of where they have started from, whether in a well-off state or a state of deprivation, there is a longing for contentment and a sense of security to be achieved. It has become the terminal destination that we humans have ascribed our values to.
This is chiefly because the society that we have been brought up in is always measuring our attainment of success.
And so, now we look at ourselves through the lens of society.
In this process, the definition of success has turned into a scattered idea. We have fallen far from the real meaning of success and thus, we live defeated lives that may look successful on the surface but in actuality are still under the control of evil and selfish desires.
For some people, their wrongful desires revolve around gaining power and authority, while to others it means having lots of money. To some, success may mean education; while to others, just being happy seems sufficient. In reality, success is not found in money, power, or fame. It is not found in worldly achievements or accolades either. True success lies in the discovery of God’s purpose and will. He has an individual vocation and plans for everyone’s life, and He calls out to each one of us to guide us in the right direction. My entire life is an example of how God brought me out from a completely different lifestyle to a life of success. My success is not in fame, money, or any other material things. Instead, it is in being able to listen to His voice and
following Him. Today, everyone is running in the race of success, but they have chosen a direction for themselves on their own. They do not ask God and see what He has planned for their lives. He has mapped out a grand picture that displays our life with meticulous precision. We may think we can do it on our own, but that is just a foolish idea that stems from pride.
To embrace true success, you have to surrender yourself to God, ask Him for His will, and see where He wants to lead you. I, too, experienced a life full of adventures because I surrendered myself to Him, but in this journey of ups and downs, the Spirit of God revealed to me, a method to achieve success. This is the KLOD process to a successful living which I have shared with you in this book.
I was a lost cause, a Nobody trying to tell Everybody about Somebody who can change Anybody.
Far from the possibilities of a transformed and renewed life; but this is what turned my life upside down and helped me reach the vision that God placed in my heart. God did the unimaginable in His due time and enabled me to testify about
His grace and love. This is why I encourage you to embrace it as the road map for your life today.
KLOD stands for “Knowing Jesus’ Voice; Listening to
Jesus’ Commands; Obeying Jesus’ Commands, and Doing
Jesus’ Commands.”
This is the complete and unified secret to successful living which the Bible teaches us about. It begins with knowing and recognizing the voice of the Lord.
The world that we live in today is filled with noises blaring in our ears. These are worldly distractions and the voice of the enemy pinning at the back of our heads and pouring in negative thoughts. In addition, we have our own negative self-talk that keeps reminding us of our fears and insecurities that hold us back from exploring our full potential and finding out the unique talents and abilities that He has placed in us. This leaves little or no room for the voice of Jesus to be heard or even and lured to a sinful life. The enemy is extremely cunning. He knows how to hide. This is why the initial step that launches us to a successful life is:
Knowing The Voice of Jesus.
You have to learn to distinguish the words that He speaks so that you may not be misguided by the Enemy under the false representation of God’s voice. When we block all the other voices, he often tries to come stealthily into our lives and chokes the word of God. This is why being wise enough to know the voice of Jesus is essential. In order to achieve that, you can pray and ask the Spirit of God to help you discern His voice.
1 Kings 3 tells the story about how God instructs Solomon to ask Him for just about anything, and Solomon says the following:
“You have shown great mercy to Your servant David, my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. Now, OLord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give to Your servant
an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge these great people of Yours?”
Solomon was brought up in riches, surrounded by the luxuries of life and therefore he understood that the definition of success was not in riches, honor, and material things. This is why he asked for wisdom, understanding, and discernment. He asked for himself, the most precious of all gifts because he knew that he needed it the most. He needed wisdom and discernment to tackle the darts of the evil one and to understand the guidance of the Lord. You can also ask God to give you the gift of discernment as you begin. If you ask Him, He will surely not withhold His blessings from you. Instead, He will call you to Himself like He called his apostles and other appointed people of God.
He is ready to accept you if you come to the knowledge of Him and leave everything as soon as you hear Him speak.
The next step is listening to Jesus’ Commands which is just one step ahead of knowing.
This involves your willingness to hear Him speak. Also, it includes searching for His voice whether you are surrounded by noise or by serenity. It is an act of seeking which reflects your inner desire for His fellowship. It shows that you willingly wish to give in to the will of God and give your life into His hands. It is in this step that you are left with a choice to make. It is not a one-time decision, but a constant choice that you have to face every single day and in every circumstance. When you start practicing attentiveness, begin by understanding that there will be many ways in which God is going to communicate to you. It can be through people, through your own thoughts, through miracles, visions and angels, and in prayer. But most of all, He is going to communicate through His word. The word of God is a roadmap for you that guides you in the right direction. It answers all the questions that can possibly be generated by the human mind and gives solutions to those problems. If you feel like you are far from the voice of God, then you can always dive into His word and find out His will for you. Also, His word is a great way to discern whether your own thoughts and the advice of your close friends are in accordance with the will of God whenever you feel doubtful or double-minded. Overall, make the word of God an important part of your life. Share it with the people around you so that they may also listen to
God’s voice in case they have been away from the Lord’sfellowship.
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to theLord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:16)
The Third Step in This KLOD Process is Obeying Jesus’Commands.
When you make it a habit to listen to the voice of Jesus, you are given a choice to either neglect Him or to obey His commands. With the carnal nature that we have inherited from the first man, Adam, it is difficult to walk on the straight path of righteousness. It is difficult to wrestle against the innate moral blindness and surrender to His will in obedience.
However, despite the struggle, it is still possible to obey him by asking the Holy Spirit to teach you how to obey. Indeed, you cannot do this on your own; but if you ask Him to intervene, then He can renew your heart and mind and bind you to Him. This natural desire of obedience will bring you into His fellowship, and you will gain access to the many blessings that He promises in His word. I am often amazed when I listen to people who are supposed to have a relationship with God, make statements like:
“I believe that really God wants me to do XYZ, but I am too busy,” or “I know that I should give, but I don’t have enough because I have to leave something for my children and grandchildren, etc.”
Some people will make an effort to step out when they believe that God has called them to do something for Him. However, after they immerse themselves, and find that the job is challenging, they turn around and say things like, I can’t do this, or it’s not for me. If you are one of those people, what message are you sending?
Are you telling God that you heard Him, but you chose NOT to obey his command? Are you telling Him that he made a mistake when he placed it on your heart to do something? “If you love me, you will obey what I command. Whoever has my commands, and obeys them he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” -John 14:21
“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.
And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:”Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.
Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.”
-Deuteronomy 28:1-6
Today, take the time to reflect on the choices that you have made/will make. Are you willing to obey God or disobey Him?
“Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners, but because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.”
-Romans 5:19, NLT
The final step is Doing Jesus’ Command. This is, of course, the hardest of them all because the carnal nature makes it difficult for us to do any good.
Yet, with the help of the Holy Spirit, it becomes easier to walk according to His commandments. As you become obedient, doing His will no longer remains a toilsome task but rather a joyful inclination that comes from the desire to reflect His behavior.
James 1:21-23 says: “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
Today, many people are more involved in boasting about how much they do in the name of the Lord, yet their actions totally contradict their statements. This is not the kind of obedience that the Lord requires. He wants our actions to reflect obedience so that we can display our faith and set an example for others.
It is this KLOD process that led me to an ultimately successful life, and today I invite you to make it an important part of your life as well. As you will begin walking in these steps, you will watch how your life will transform. Jesus’guidance will encompass you, and your trust in His wisdom will help you make the right decisions. Today, leave behind your past mistakes, the labels that others have given you, and the image that is formed of yourself in your head.
If you think you cannot achieve what you want to achieve; or if you can hear the voice of the Lord, but you have been ignoring it; then try to listen to Him today. He is right there waiting for you with His arms stretched open wide. He wants you to live an abundant life that He has promised. He has not designed life of struggle and sin for you. He has a grand plan, but you can never experience it if you do not put everything else to silence and listen to the voice of Jesus. Come to Him today and surrender yourself in obedience at His feet. As you will do this, the Lord will take charge of your life and grant you the success that you have been longing for!
“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (NIV).
-Jeremiah 29:11
Knowing the Word improves listening skills
Listening skills produces obedience
Obedience leads to performance
Performance leads to change!
In summary, when you are grounded in the Lord and know His Word, you will be able to trust Him when He instructs your movement. I find that some Christians often say that they trust the Lord. However, their actions reflect that their trust level in God is running low. They are always trying to help God halfway. They will make a statement like,
“I trust Him but…”
The Lord requires you to trust Him wholeheartedly. He does not need your help!
“Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean [NOT] on your own understanding; in ALL (NOT SOME) your ways acknowledge him, and He will direct your paths.”
-Proverbs 3:5-6
CLOSING HYMN: It’s So Sweet to Trust in Jesus!
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