How Will You View True "Success" in 2013?
How will you view “success” in 2013? The “American
Dream” is slipping away for more and more people due to financial challenges,
job loss and new government regulations. Others want to get famous quickly by
pasting themselves all over YouTube or auditioning for “reality TV.” Still more
are wondering when their 15 minutes will come while being confused over what to
do to achieve it.
But I’m more convinced than ever that we can’t obsess
over what society considers personal “success” while our country is in such
turmoil and God is being more fervently rejected every day. It's time to make a choice: Are we going to be self-absorbed, or will we show the Lord that
we’re willing to work at bringing light into the darkness and more people into His
family?
"Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." Matthew 5:16, KJV
In the last couple of years, I've spotlighted other self-published
or small-press Christian authors over in my “Authors Corner” tab at this blog
(check them out here!), but it was recently brought to my attention that I never blogged
about my own 2011 book, which is all about the topic of this post – SUCCESS… not fame
or fortune, but being successful in building, maintaining, and improving a personal relationship with God."Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." Matthew 5:16, KJV
In “God, Am I Nobody?” I use a little sermonette by a 19th
century missionary, Hudson Taylor. Taylor calls Christians to fully devote
themselves to accepting God’s will for their lives, and acting on that call.
But I don’t really tell how I found Taylor’s piece, and how deeply it affected
me.
At a point in my life that I began to have a huge pity
party about not feeling “successful” in certain areas I had always dreamed of,
I brushed against a shelf at a Christian bookstore and a book tumbled to the
floor. It opened to the page with Hudson Taylor’s message. Really, it did!!
This turned my whole life around and I finally learned how to commit myself to
giving glory to God for all I did instead of desiring personal recognition. Lessons from my comparisons of Taylor’s words to God’s Word are contained in the simple 17-day devotional along with ways they can apply to our lives today. More information, and how to order, can be seen in the immediate right-hand column, Sheryl's Books.
It’s hard to “promote” a book about not wanting worldly success over God’s will! So instead here are the latest 2013 reviews, and I’ll let these talented book reviewers tell you about it. Previous wonderful reviews (thank goodness!) can also be seen at the links to Amazon and the publisher.
http://www.cherylcope.com/book-review-god-am-i-nobody-by-sheryl-young
(Reviews were unsolicited.)
2 comments:
Sheryl: I'm not sure of my personal success. I just want to live for Him.
Thanks, "quiet" - And that's the gist of my message!