SUCCESSFUL
Prayer: Dear Lord, We ask You to be with us today and this week that we will grow in ways that please You. Thank You, Lord. Amen.
Scripture: The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. Genesis 39:2 NAS
Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. Joshua 1:7 NAS
The word “success” conjures up many ideas. Your definition of success may be completely different than the person sitting next to you. How would you define a successful person? How do you measure success? Is it by money in the bank or notoriety? Is it a title or a feeling? Can success happen in a day or does it take years to attain? At the end of the day, year, and your career how will you know if you have been successful?
Success is a tricky word since we all define it differently. How does God define success in the Bible? Reading the two verses above, we can see first of all that God defines success for us by being with Him; having a close relationship with Him and knowing our success comes from Him. Secondly, success comes from obeying God and keeping His commands.
Notice that the verse points out that you have to be courageous, careful to do according to all…not turning from it to the right or the left. Why do you think it takes courage to be obedient to God? Is it easy to follow God and His ways? What difficulties do we face that demand courage? Does being obedient to God make you “popular” in this world? Why do we have to be careful? Satan is slick. If we are not careful, we can find ourselves in a disobedient situation because we slipped into an old habit, such as keeping our mouths shut when we should have stood against something, or even fell into an emotional trap in a moment of frustration or exhaustion. Lastly, this verse says, “do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.” Staying on God’s path leads to the success God has planned for you.
How do your students define success? Is their definition of success different than yours? Does their definition include things that are not a part of your definition of success for them? How can these definitions work against each other? How can you be creative to make them work for one another? In their search for peer acceptance could you make time for peer recognition and celebration when specific milestones are reached or character trait is exhibited? Is it possible to make success “popular” at your school?
Your students need to know how they can be successful this year in your classroom. They need to know your expectations, your rules, and the path that they should follow to be successful in their grade. It is important to be clear and consistent, making sure that they have frequent and pertinent information throughout the year of how they are doing and what they need to do to stay on track or get back on track.
My prayer for you is that you and your students will have a successful year.
Copyright Kathy Branzell. Email [email protected]