Limitless Success Defined by Infinite Truth (and Love)

In part one of this article, we saw the key to true success is following God’s Word (Joshua 1:8). To experience true success you must allow God’s Word to shape your heart and mind in a way that renews your definition of success and allows you to see things the way God sees them. When you follow God’s Word, it’s possible to do unimaginably great things (John 14:12). This truth, like much of the Bible, does not seem possible to our finite brains.

Those who followed Jesus on earth were always asking difficult questions. During the Last Supper, Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, broke bread, shared wine, and gave them perfect direction for all they were about to face. That night Jesus stood before his disciples and told them to ask God for help. He said,

“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever” (John 14:13-16).

You might be wondering what it means to ask in the name of Jesus. Jesus continued that night by giving them a clear picture of what it means to ask in the name of Jesus by saying,

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:5-13).

In these verses we see that the source of our success is Jesus, the method of our success is love, and the mode of our success is prayer.

So, you’re probably wondering: how does this play out in the marketplace? An executive recently asked, “How do I lead a team that is not up to the tasks we’ve been given in the midst of current pandemic pressures?” Like this executive, you may have been given what seems like an impossible task.

Here are some steps to follow that can lead to unlimited success:

First - Define Reality

• Remember who you are. Do you know you are a child of God? This is the ultimate reality. Use this reality and trust God to take away your anxiety as you pray to your Heavenly Father who sees your needs and wants to help you (Matthew 6:8-14).
• Make an inventory of what is causing this to be a difficult challenge. Discern what to do by looking at your (and the team’s) past successes and seek the advice of others (Proverbs 18:15). List the strengths and weaknesses of the team along with your strengths and weaknesses.
• Define what it means to love and serve all stakeholders (1 Corinthians 13:1-13). It is almost never about the task, it is always about the people.
  

Then - Offer Hope

• Write down a simple vision of success (Proverbs 29:18) appropriate for the situation. Hint: Think of what success means to some of the stakeholders including; those you report to, teammates, employees, and most of all the customers who you’re supposed to serve.
• Gain alignment in all directions by mapping out the plan and necessary steps. Hint: Be reasonable (Philippians 4:5) and make sure you don’t over-promise to the people you report to. Also, don’t put unrealistic expectations on your employees.
• Help each member of your team see how they can be successful. Hint: For the least experienced (or those struggling the most), break tasks down so they can experience little wins and gain confidence. Also, consider teaming employees up to match strengths and limit weaknesses.
• Show them you are willing to serve them in ways that are good for them (Philippians 2:4-5) and allow the entire team to enjoy success.
• Cover all this is prayer. Praying for each person involved by name.
  

As you apply these truths, God will show you what is good, acceptable, and perfect (Romans 12:2) as you seek guidance in His Word and from His people.