I wish you a happy and blessed Easter, steadfast and rejoicing in the Lord, His power overshadowing you, working through you, and leading your steps towards Him. [Pope Shenouda III] A spiritual person is distinguished for continual success whatever he does shall prosper (Ps 1)
The importance of success.
Success causes happiness to many persons: =
It causes happiness to the person who succeeds, to his family and friends, and to the whole church, as well as to the angels and the spirits of the saints. St. John the Apostle sent to his disciple Gaices, saying, “I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” (3 Jn.2).
Success is an attribute of the spiritual person.
“He shall be like a tree planted by the rives of water; that brings forth its fruit in its season.” (Ps 1) Joseph the Righteous was a success man, and the Lord was with him and made all that he did to prosper in his hand (Gen 29:2,3).
It is success in everything. The Grace never leaves him.
The elements of success be in his personality and never quit him, so he succeeds in everything, in his spiritual life, in his work, in his knowledge, and in his house.
Joseph the Righteous was successful in everything and loved by everyone.
He was the beloved of his parents, and his father gave him a tunic of many colors. He was successful in caring for the safety of his brothers; in the house of Potiphar who made him overseer of his house and all that he had because he found favor in the sight of Potiphar (Gen 39:4); in the prison where the keeper of the prison committed to his hand all the prisoners (Gen 39 : 22,23), even the prisoners consulted him as did the chief butler and the chief baker (Gen 40); and as Minister of Provisions he saved Egypt and the surramding countries from famine, so Pharaoh loved him and set him over all the land of Egypt as second in the kingdom (Gen 41 : 40-44).
Success is introduced in the Holy Scripture is a kind of blessing (Deut 28), and failure as a curse and punishment.
Examples of the successful from the Scripture:
David for instance, when still young, was successful and could defeat the valiant Goliath. Afterwards he succeeded in casting away the evil spirit from King Saul ( 1 Sam 16 : 23).
Daniel, likewise, was prosperous in the land of captivity, for king Darius gave him authority over all authorities in his kingdom. And Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius (Da 6: 28). Nehemiah as well was prosperous in the days of king Artaxerxes, and he built the walls of Jerusalem. Ezza the scribe also was successful, as the divine revelation said, “Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!” (Zech 4:7) St. Paul is another example, for he was one of the greatest ministers who succeeded in their ministry.
But some would ask: Are some of God’s Children unsuccessful in their life?
God’s children are often surrounded by hardships and weaknesses from outside (2 Cor 6:5), but they succeed in facing them. They are not shaken within, nor pressed, nor broken, but as St. Paul said about himself and his companions, “as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing … as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” (2 Cor. 6:10)
The beginning … or the end.
Don’t care about the beginning even if it is a failure, but be careful that the end be successful.
• Joseph the Righteous is an example. His life in the beginning was a loss : he was cast into a dry well, sold as a slave, and cast into prison with a false accusation. But the end was great.
• St. Athanasius the Apostolic began in a hard atmosphere. The Arians had become very strong, and they could plot against him, try him, and banish him in agreement with the royal authority. He was deposed four times, however, his life ended with his being a great hero of faith who faced the whole world and conquered.
• David the Prophet, after the holy amounting and the victory over Goliath, was persecuted by Saul and kept fleeing from him in the desert fearing to fall in his hands one day, but those troubles ended and David was victorious at the end.
• The Lord Christ Himself, in His incarnation, began with many hardships: the murder of the children at the hands of Herod; fleeing to Egypt, facing hardships in His ministry from the leaders of the Jews, and also plots that led to His crucifixion. But the end was the resurrection, the ascension, the sitting at the right hand of the Father, and the spreading of faith.
• Moses and Pharaoh: at the beginning Pharaoh was more hardened, and the people were annoyed and groaned against Moses and Pharaoh, saying, “let the Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh.” (Ex 5 : 21) And in spite of the ten plagues God struck Pharaoh with, Pharaoh did not soften. Again, when Pharaoh went after the people, they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness?” (Ex 14:11) However, in spite of all such hard beginnings, his faith never weakened and the finally succeeded in saving the people from the servitude to Pharaoh.
Some are worried because of the success of the wicked!
It is a problem that annoyed Jeremiah the Prophet and made him blame God, saying, “Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You; yet let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?” (Jer 12:1)
The success of the wicked is false, temporary, and evil.
• King Herod thought that he succeeded when he killed all the children of Bethlehem, but that was not true. The only person he wanted to kill continued alive. Moreover the means which Herod used was evil.
• His successor Herod Killed John the Baptist. Was that true success fro Herodias, Salome, and Herod, or a false and temporary success? Herod continued annoyed of John after his death (Mt 14:1,2) and finally Herod was struck by an angel and was eaten by worms and die (Acts 12:23).
• Ahab succeeded in killing Naboth the Jezreelite and taking his land (1 kgs 21), but it was tempory, false, and evil success. God’s anger fell upon Ahab and God’s word came: “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood.” (1 kgs 21:19)
• The Jews thought that they got rid of Christ when their plot succeeded and they crucified Him. But it was a false and temporary success, for it ended with them glory of the resurrection.
• Haman thought that he got rid of Mordecai and the whole people by the plot he made to crucify him, but God interfered after the fast which Queen Esther ordered. The situation turned to the opposite, and Haman was hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. (Esth 7 : 10)
Among the clear examples of false success is that of Satan and his host:
• When Satan will be released from his prison, he will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth (Rev 20:7). He will attempt to deceive, if possible, even the elect (Mt 24:24). But did he succeed?
• The beast was granted to make war with the saints and to overcome them, but did the beast succeed? The Scripture settles the matter in (Rev 20:10): “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are.”
• The anti-Christ, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, who will come according to the work of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, his success also is temporary, false, and evil. The Lord will consume him with the breath of His mouth (2 Thess 2:8-10).
Therefore, do not be jealous of the wicked who succeed especially if their means is evil, like those who use lies, deceit, cheating, bribery, hypocrisy, mediation, or monopoly in the field of trade. They may realize. Big profits but fail spiritually. To those shall apply the words of the apostle: “Whose glory is in their shame – who act their mind on earthly things.” Their end is destruction (Phil 3:19).
St. Augustine says about the wicked that they are like smoke that rises, extends, and dispersed.
Fire, on the contrary, stays below, but it keeps its power, heat, and influence.
The success of such people is confined to worldly matters. Take for example the rich man whose ground yielded plentifully, so he said, “I will pull down my barns and build greater … I will say to my soul … take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” (Lk 12 : 16 – 20)
True success is the spiritual success, and if it is material, it should be by spiritual means.
Elements of success :
• The First elements are the blessing and compliance with the commandment.
Joseph prospered because God was with him (Gen 39: 2,3). Therefore seek the success that comes to you from God, from His work with you, or that comes to you as a gift as a reward for complying with His commandment. He said to Joshua the son of Nun: “The Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Jos 1 : 8).
Put the spiritual success as your first interest.
Let your first interest be to succeed in your wars against the devils, in overcoming yourself, in getting rid of your bad habits, weaknesses, defects, and failures, in refraining from retaliating evil for evil but to overcome it with good (Rom 12 : 21), in controlling your tongue, your senses, your feelings, and your nerves. This will be the true success.
The main attribute is to be successful within.
A spiritual person ought to be successful in his heart, his mind, his nerves, his will, and before anything else to be successful in his relationship with God; to be strong, not to shake or fear, but to walk on his way like an arrow towards the target, not to shake even if the waves rise or the mountains fall in the sea. A spiritual person never weakens or fails within or loses his faith and his trust to succeed in spite of all hindrances, but rather feels pleasure in overcoming them by God’s grace, taking a deep spiritual experience from God’s work with him. Mark the Apostle succeeded in spreading faith in Egypt in spite of the many hardships that faced him there. There was no church, no believers, many religions, Judaism, heathen philosophy, besides the violent Roman Empire.
• Success requires a strong heart and a strong personality to overcome hardships instead of being defeated by them or terrified. Calm thinking, calm nerves, and calm spirit are elements of success.
• Success requires faith and prayer.
All things are possible to him who believes (Mk 9:23), and as St. Paul says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13) So, hold to the Lord, that He may be with you and give you blessing and success. Seek His help always, and He will help you to succeed.
• Success requires wisdom and intelligence.
Lack of wisdom, prudence, or discerning may lead to failure in one’s spiritual, family, or social life. Such people need guidance from a wise father, and need prayer that the Lord may guide them and give them wisdom from above, from the father of lights.
• Success is subject to the divine justice, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.(Gal 6 : 7)
• To prosper, be steadfast to the end.
If you miss a chance, seed another. Do not fear if Satan and his host rise and plot against you. Say with the Psalmist, “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us alive… Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us prey to their teeth.” (Ps 124)
Do not worry if you do not prosper at the beginning, but remember the words: “By your patience, possess your souls.” (Lk 21:19) Success needs patience and persistence. Wait for the Lord, and He will come, even at the last watch of the night.
Do not worry about anything you do, but wait for the fruit, and you will find it in your hand easily.