How Can I Be Successful?
High achievers usually have one obvious thing in
common: personal discipline. Successful people are willing to do
things that average people are unwilling to do. I've had the opportunity
to know many successful people. I've observed that successful people
express self-discipline in six key ways:
- Successful
people master their moods. They live by their commitments, not
their emotions. People who do the right thing even when they don’t
feel like it accomplish most of what gets done in the world! "A
person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken
down walls." Proverbs 25:28 (LB)
- Successful
people watch their words. They put their minds in gear before
opening their mouths. "He who guards his lips guards his
life." Prov. 13:3
-
Successful people restrain their reactions. How much can you take
before you lose your cool? “If you are sensible you will
control your temper. When someone wrongs you, it is a great virtue
to ignore it." Prov. 19:11 (GN)
- Successful
people stick to their schedule. If you don't determine how you
will spend your time you can be sure that others will decide for
you! "Live life with a due sense of responsibility …
make the best use of your time." Eph. 5:15-16 (Ph)
- Successful
people manage their money. They learn to live on less than what
they make and they invest the difference. The value of a budget
is that it tells your money where you want it to go rather than
wondering where it went! "The wise man saves for the future,
but the foolish man spends whatever he gets." Prov. 21:20
(LB)
- Successful
people maintain their health. That way they can accomplish more
and enjoy their achievements. "Each of you should control
his own body, keeping it pure and treating it with respect."
1 Thess. 4:4
Now, where do you need to develop self-control?
The disciplines you establish today will determine your success
tomorrow. But it takes more than just willpower for lasting self-control.
It takes a power greater than yourself. Think about this promise
from the Bible this week: "God does not give us a spirit of
fear, but a spirit of power, love and self-control." 2 Tim.
1:7
The
more I accept God's control over my life, the more self-control
He gives me! You’re no different!
Pastor Bruce
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