Commit your works to the LORD, And your thoughts will be established. (Proverbs 16:3 NKJV)

Many people have dreams that they desire to fulfill, but the majority of those who endeavor to harness them fail to do so for lack of understanding that success doesn’t happen on a whim; rather, it is a process.

In other words, there are stages to success, or steps if you will, that must be taken before a person could reach their objective to become successful at whatever it is that they are attempting to accomplish.

Unfortunately, many give up prior to entering into that last stage, and assume that success was never meant to be when in reality it was just one step away! But there is another side to success that we often don’t consider as much as we ought to.

If we truly have a desire to fulfill God’s will for us, but are attempting to move in a direction that is contrary to it, then why should we expect Him to give us the success that we think we should have while wanting what God wants for us at the same time? That is, if we want what He wants for us, but are unaware of all of the details that surround it, then should we really be discouraged if we don’t get it in the manner in which we expect to receive it?

Listen, if you really want what God wants for you then you can be sure to know that He is giving it to you right now (in stages). It may take some time before you will see this more clearly, but it is happening nonetheless. So why not be patient with God and allow Him to give you success as He sees fit? It shouldn’t matter how it is packaged; if it is born of God then it is exactly what you need. I suppose this is one of the reasons why Paul said, “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:12-13 NKJV)

Paul didn’t let his circumstances define who he was; he knew that his life belonged to Jesus Christ and was willing to accept anything that life threw at him; he knew that he was in good hands with God. Trials didn’t weaken him; instead, they made him stronger, because through them he learned how to depend on God more and more. Thus he learned the lessons that God sought to teach him. But are you learning these lessons too?

If you don’t get exactly what you are looking for in life, that doesn’t mean you aren’t getting what you want from God. It’s all a matter of learning how to see things as they really are and knowing where they come from. Sometimes hardships could even be a gift from God, as He often uses such things to wake us up to the reality of our condition and to encourage us to get back on the right track again. Therefore, if you hit a wall along the way, that doesn’t mean you are a failure. It just simply means that you need to remember that success is a process, and more importantly,

“True success in life comes from pleasing God.” –edna

With that being said, if you truly want what God wants for you then be “anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV)

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