Trust in God for Our Success
ICS Daily Devotions

We all want to be successful. There are two competing worldviews on success. The Christian worldview is that God is the source of all our blessings, while the secular worldview is that success is purely through meritocracy.

While we recognise meritocracy because the Bible says if we do not work, we should not eat, the secular worldview is founded on graduating from elite universities, having connections with the rich and powerful, marrying up and capitalising on all the leverages in life. However, succeeding this way breeds pride because the individuals will credit it to their own doing. These people’s identities will be built on the worldly foundation where they believe that they are self-made men and women and masters of their destinies until everything crumbles around them. Such cases are common in the corporate world, and people can easily lose their identities when their positions and social standings are gone because they have made money and power their gods.

Christians who have not renewed their minds might still hold this worldview without God in the equation. What’s worse is when they pass this worldview onto their children. On the other hand, mature Christians will have the belief that God is the creator of heaven and earth, the giver of life, the redeemer of our souls, and the source of all blessings. They will believe that they are stewards of everything that He has given them, and they will be willing to tithe and give freewill offerings because their identities are in Christ, which is a solid foundation.

Hebrews 7:1-2, 9 (NKJV) For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,”… Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak,

There are two ways of prospering financially: God’s way or the world’s way. Because there is insufficient teaching by the church on God’s blessings and wealth, some Christians feel ashamed when they are doing well financially, or they will secretly pursue success through the world’s way and embrace the secular view. However, when God blesses us, He adds no sorrow with it, but we will be pierced with many sorrows if we operate in the world’s unethical or unscrupulous ways. The love of money is the root of all evil, which is why some of our Christian friends have drifted away from God because they want to succeed through the world’s ways.

As Christians, we need to be clear that the reason why we give tithe and offering is that we believe God is the source of our provision. Besides serving the Lord with our gifts and talents, we choose to honour and worship Him with tithing. It keeps our hearts right with God and gives us a constant dependence on Him for everything. God wants us to be prosperous and successful, but being convinced that He is the source of our blessings.

Sermon Series: Christian Worldview on Success