May Father God grant you…

…Some sense of the pleasure He takes in you simply because you are His…

…Some awareness of the joy you give Him because you have holy desires towards Him…

…Some hint of the Fatherly pride He takes in your purpose to honor Him in your life…

…Some idea of what your hanging in there with Him through thick and thin means to Him…

…Some notion of the fondness He feels for you because of your plans for doing good things (even if they often fail)…

…Some vision of Him, in your corner, speaking out courage and inspiration to you, even and especially when you’re feeling alone and forsaken…

…Some victory in your life over some sin…over some enemy…over some frustration…over some doubt…over some fear…

How do you make a difference for good in this world…in this life? Assert yourself. Dress appropriately. Arrive early. Choose a strategic position. Put your best foot forward. Be positive. Don’t take no for an answer. Get your name out there. Meet the right kinds of people. Curry their favor. After all, if you can help enough other people get what they want, you are guaranteed to get what you want too, aren’t you?

I can understand such advice. It makes sense to me. I can see how this course stands a pretty good chance of helping you become ”successful.”

There are different kinds of success of course. And depending on the field of endeavor with which you are engaged, there are strategies tailored to help you get what you’re after.

But how about the following strategy for “success?” Fall, like a grain of wheat (only one among thousands) into the ground and die. (John 12:24) The concepts of falling and dying are not normative for self-advancement strategies, that’s for sure.