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Matthew 19:23 “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”
In the ancient Middle East, many believed that those who were wealthy were blessed by God. As such, Jesus’ disciples may have been dumbfounded to hear Him say that it is difficult for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
In our culture today, we may not necessarily believe that those who are wealthy are blessed by God. However, the majority of people do believe it’s important to be successful in life. More unfortunately, everybody has their own definition as to what it means to be successful!
Many years ago, a well-spoken monk and author named Thomas Merton was contacted by a man who was compiling a book on how to be successful. He asked Thomas to contribute something for his book. Merton responded by writing, “If I had a message to my contemporaries, I said, it was surely this: be anything you like, be madmen, drunks … of every shape and form, but at all costs avoid one thing: success.” Merton knew success was often a worldly ambition, not a godly one.
READING & PRAYERS:
MATTHEW 19:23-30 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)
QUESTION: Write out your own definition of what you believe it means to be successful. Be honest in your answer.
QUESTION: In Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, Peter Scazzero writes that “According to Jesus, success is becoming the person God calls you to become, and doing what God calls you to do—in his way, and according to his timetable.” How does this compare with your definition of success?
REAL LIFE PRACTICE: Are you doing too much?Practice slowing down and living life at the pace of your soul by utilizing the One Minute Pause app at least twice daily. The app is free, and is available on iPhone and Android devices.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I recognize that my culture screams one definition of success at me each and every day, but I know this definition is quite different of Your definition of success. Help me to be successful in Your eyes, not in the eyes of others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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