There are many ways to try and do your best in life. I have come across several “formulas” people have come up with that aim to give direction, lead to success, embrace happiness, contentment and wealth. Online, I’ve found endless titles of articles or books on the subject:
10 Habits of Ultra Successful People
6 Habits of Super Successful People
12 Weekend Habits of Highly Successful People
Fifty Habits of Highly Successful People
10 Morning Habits Successful People Swear By
7 Secrets of Successful People
20 Productive Habits of Successful (and Very Wealthy) People
The Bible has other criteria. And in the Bible as well, you can find what some may describe as different options to find peace, understanding and a deeper relationship with God.
Proverbs 3:5-6 comes to mind.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
While reading the book of 2 Peter this morning, I came across another set of instructions – criteria which are good to live by.
As followers of Christ, we have faith in Him.
Add to faith…
- Goodness
- Knowledge
- Self-Control
- Perseverance
- Godliness
- Mutual affection
- Love
Here’s exactly what Peter says to the early Christian church…
2 Peter 1:5-9
For this reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is short-sighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
I like formulas. They strike a chord with me. If I do this and that, the outcome will be good. These few verses contain qualities which are good to work on ‘in increasing measure’. They flow into each other and in nurturing them we will be effective and productive in our knowledge of Jesus. They help us keen Him front and centre. That’s why we are here on earth – for His glory. I’ve got a long way to go to growing these qualities in my daily life.
But I have faith and that’s a great starting point….
There are indeed loads of articles to be read on self-improvement, but nothing beats finding out what the Bible says about the subject. There’s plenty to be read there!
Keep the smile going.
God bless you!
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂