What does it really take for a Christian to succeed? How can we go from where we are to the place that God wants us to go? There are some skills that are necessary for each Christian. Sometimes we can have such a broad generalization when it comes to our Christianity that we put everything under the umbrella of being a Christian and none of it protects us from the ups and downs in our life.
The following are skills that will help us succeed. They will help us get in the place of where we can go from just trying to be a better Christian to actually being able to see God change our lives.
1. Read the Bible.
Most times we treat this as a chore and not as a necessity for life. People struggle to read the Bible everyday because our approach to it is wrong. Instead of approaching it like a child that doesn’t want to do chores, we should approach reading the Bible as a kid opening gifts on Christmas day. We have to find a way to make Bible reading enjoyable and not a chore. Bible apps such as YouVersion and BibleGateway are excellent tools for this.
2. Pray.
Prayer can become one of those things that we take for granted and don’t fully give ourselves to. Without it, we can’t get the best or the fullness of our relationship with God. He communicates with us through prayer. When we need to be encouraged or get direction, many times we get those things through prayer.
3. Write down what God says.
If you’re like me, there are have been plenty of times either during prayer or meditation when God will give me something. Some instructions, an idea, or inspiration that I need. Too many times I’ve told myself that I would write it down later. Only to not be able to remember what it was that was so important in that moment.
4. Take steps of Faith.
There have been many times where God gave me an idea and then I still fail to see it manifest in my life. I can get in my head where I want to see the big picture or I want to see what the end will look like before I take the first step. I’m continually working on this. To get over this, the first thing to do is to take a step. Just one step. Then another. Whether you call them baby steps or steps of faith, the point is to get moving in the direction that God is telling you to go.
5. Develop Consistency.
In the world that we live in, everything has to be done in the fastest way possible. We need things faster and faster than any time in the past. There are times when I get frustrated with my WiFi signal, and I have to remember the old dial-up signal and how slow that was. While there are times that God can bring things to us instantly, I have found that even in those times, I have to consistently seek God out. I have to be patient and make God a real priority in my life and not a genie in a bottle.
This list is not exhaustive when it comes to succeeding in life. These five things will, however, set up a foundation to build on. I’d love to hear from you on the success and struggles of doing what God has called you to do.
