Succeed On Purpose
Every since I was a child, I have always adored great quotes. I define an exceptional one as a statement that enlightens me. Suzanne Delawar, famed celebrity photographer, once said, “Successful people are not gifted. We just work hard and succeed on purpose!” It was the later part of her statement that I found most profound; “Succeed on Purpose.” When I consider these words from a spiritual prospective, here’s what comes to mind.
Just think about some of the astonishing women of the bible, many of who started out as failures. Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look at Eve. She was a huge failure because she disobeyed God’s commandment to not eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. And yet, she ‘Succeeded On Purpose’ by being the first of all mankind to praise the Almighty. In Genesis 4:1b NIV, she said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” She didn’t have a sister or mother to turn to for advice regarding her birth process or labor pains. But, by the Grace of God, she was able to deliver her child safely.
Another example to consider is Sarah. She, too, started her road to purpose with a failure. When the Lord visited Abraham to tell him he would have a son within a year’s time, Sarah mocked God by laughing at His promise. He then asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh?” Genesis 18:10-15 NIV After hearing this, she became afraid and denied it. And, guess what? The Holy One called her out for lying. Even still, Sarah was able to ‘Succeed on Purpose’ when her descendants became Kings of Israel.
What about the Samaritan Woman at the well? She had been married five times and was essentially shacking with a man at the time she met Jesus. She obviously failed miserably at marriage so she probably thought this was her last chance at love. Unless you were widowed during this period of time, a woman didn’t any rights in society. Since women weren’t allowed to work, she couldn’t afford to live alone. The Lord confirmed that He knew all about her sin. Even so, He did not shun her because of her past. What’s most amazing about her story can be found in John 4:39 NIV. It says that, “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony.” She shared with these people, “He told me everything I ever did,” John 4:39b NIV. After having met the Messiah, they declared in John 4:42 NIV, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” Have you ever thought about how people looked down on a woman for being divorced a hundred years ago? Okay, so now try to imagine what she must have endured thousands of years ago? And yet, it was her testimony alone that brought villagers to Jesus Christ!
All of these women were able to ‘Succeed on Purpose’ after they intentionally turned their hearts to God. Once they did, He opened up the windows of heavens and enriched their lives greatly. Eve gave birth to the world whereas Sarah gave birth to a chosen nation. Furthermore, I’m willing to bet that the Samaritan Woman’s status improved within her community after her encounter with the Great I Am. Essentially, to succeed on purpose means to stay focused on your goals and keep moving in order to reach higher heights. Most importantly, when we are obedient to the Lord, what may initially look like a failure in the beginning will always turn into a win at the end!
