By: Reverend Frank I. Williams

Are you ready for the Word! 

“And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?  Luke 16:12

I recently heard this quote.  “Successful people do daily what unsuccessful people do occasionally.”  We all want to be successful.  But, what is success?  What is the secret to success?  I don’t think it is much of a secret anymore; however, it may not look like what we pictured it to be. 

Permit me to give you the definition I use for success. Success is accomplishing that which you were born to do.  How we go about that can vary from person to person, but ultimately we need to live our lives on purpose and with purpose.

In the complete text of Luke 16, Jesus gives a parable about a financial manager (steward) of a wealthy man who was accused of mismanaging the wealthy man’s goods and products.  Jesus goes on to teach some powerful lessons on stewardship and success.  One of these principles of success that Jesus teaches is this: success begins with making other people successful.  In other words, success begins with generosity of faithfulness.  

Jesus teaches His followers that the prerequisite for personal success is to sow your gifts, expertise, and talents into the success of another person.  In essence He is saying, if you are not faithful in what is another persons mission, business, vision, product, etc., then how will you ever get your own mission, business, vision, product.   His exact words are “who will give you your own?” 

This indicates that someone is watching our behavior when it comes to dealing with the success of others.  People and God take notice of how we work for other people.  Our faithfulness or unfaithfulness provides the necessary information to determine if you are ready to receive “your own.”  Therefore, our success is wrapped up in someone else’s success.  When you unlock someone else’s potential, you also unlock your own. 

Ask yourself these questions; do I help other people become successful?  Do I work diligently as a good steward or complacently as an indifferent steward?   If you work negatively you are sabotaging your own future success.

I encourage you to be your best in what you do for others.  Learn to be sincerely generous and generosity will come your way.  Sow the seeds of success in the good soil of another persons business and in due season your success will come too.  Remember, success is accomplishing that which you were born to do.  When you live on purpose you will discover what you were born to do.  Be purposeful.  Be faithful.  Be successful.  Think on these things.