The ‘secret’ to your success may be something you’re not seeking
By Dean Collins
Was it skill, great strategy, or luck?
Many successful business leaders quit their day jobs at some point in their careers and become consultants, advisors, and investors for other companies. They often get hired because someone believes their success really was based on their brilliance. I often tell friends that if I do consulting again, my specialty will be offering advice about what not to do. I certainly have tried many things that didn’t work.
Sometimes the things we try do work. Wise King Solomon seems to take the view that what brings success may not be what you think. Consider his synopsis in chapter 9 of Ecclesiastes:
The winner of the race may not always be the fastest
The battle is not won by the strongest army
Being the most wise doesn’t mean you can’t or won’t go hungry
Being intelligent won’t make you rich or necessarily give you opportunity
In Proverbs 3 the same wise king wrote that we are to trust in the Lord and not lean on our own understanding to get through life’s challenges. It seems that while our abilities may get us somewhere, they do not always guarantee success. At least not in the way we tend to measure success.
It’s hard to argue with Solomon’s logic. He proves his point by giving us a lesson from nature.
Fish get caught in nets
Birds get caught in snares
God made the fish and the birds and gave them survival instincts, and yet they experience catastrophe. According to Solomon, the same is true with us. We can get tripped up or trapped by evil. And sometimes we simply fall and make mistakes.
But before we lose all hope and think everything is just a matter of coincidence or luck, Solomon reminds us that sometimes, maybe often, it is the poor, the weaker, and the few who seek wisdom from God and discover they might be used to win a war, save a city, or outsmart the competition.
As Solomon concludes his thoughts on what brings victory and success, he outlines a few principles we should probably remember:
1. Wisdom is better than might. But wisdom is often ignored in favor of power. We would do well to remember the words of the prophet Zechariah who said it was not by power nor by might but by God’s Spirit that victory is accomplished. We know it is the Holy Spirit who can guide us in paths of righteousness. As we seek God’s wisdom through his Word, the Holy Spirit guides us to see what we cannot see.
2. Many loud voices will claim they know the answer and have the truth, but wisdom is more likely discovered in silence. The still, small voice of God is far more reliable than the noisy promotion of easy and quick solutions.
3. Wisdom is always better than war. One angry sinner can stir up riots, incite violence, and destroy peace. Solomon offered both the better path of wisdom and a warning of how fragile life can be when we don’t pursue God’s plans.
Life is hard in a fallen world. God has given us various gifts and abilities we are to use. Our best path to navigate the challenges of life here on earth and to extend God’s kingdom is when we surrender our talents and gifts to God, seek his wisdom, and trust in his plans instead of trying to force our solutions based on our understanding. This cannot be accomplished without the humility that acknowledges God’s ways as truly the best path forward.
As Solomon finished his attempt to summarize what is valuable and what is not in this world he concluded with this insight:
“The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”
Lord, we confess our tendency to rely on our gifts and abilities to navigate life. We confess we get caught up in the noise that suggests power and might are the tools of success. Forgive us. We acknowledge your great power, wisdom, and love, and we surrender our lives and our plans into your hands. Fill us with your Holy Spirit, guide us in paths of righteousness, and deliver us from evil. We ask that your will be done in us today. For your glory only, amen.
Your time with God’s Word
Ecclesiastes 9:11-18; 12:11-14 ESV
Photo by Josh Hild on Unsplash
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