The Way to Success

Brian Tracy is a life coach, an author, and a motivational speaker. He has what he calls the Success Mastery Academy. One of the principles or laws that he teaches is “The Law of Correspondence.” The basic premise is that everything in life corresponds to an opposite force, decision, or action. That is my interpretation of this principle not a quote from Mr. Tracy.

Whatever I am on the outside corresponds directly to what I am on the inside. So ultimately if I want to be a better father, a better husband, a better employee, a better employer, a better friend, a better leader, a better anything then I must become a better person, become better inside.

A successful beauty product company asked the people in a large city to send pictures along with brief letters about the most beautiful women they knew. Within a few weeks thousands of letters were delivered to the company.

One letter in particular caught the attention of the employees and soon it was handed to the company president. The letter was written by a young boy who was obviously from a broken home, living in a run-down neighborhood. With spelling corrections, an excerpt from his letter read: “A beautiful woman lives down the street from me. I visit her everyday. She makes me feel like the most important kid in the world. We play checkers and she listens to my problems. She understands me and when I leave she yells out the door that she’s proud of me.”

The boy ended his letter saying, “This picture shows you that she is the most beautiful woman. I hope I have a wife as pretty as her.”

Intrigued by the letter, the president asked to see this woman’s picture. His secretary handed him a photograph of a smiling, toothless woman, well-advanced in years, sitting in a wheelchair. Sparse gray hair was pulled back in a bun and wrinkles that formed deep furrows on her face were somehow diminished by the twinkle in her eyes.

“We can’t use this woman,” explained the president, smiling. “She would show the world that our products aren’t necessary to be beautiful.”

When Samuel was sent to anoint a king for Israel he was sent by God to the house of Jesse. As soon as he arrived he saw one of Jesse’s sons and thought he must be the one. 1 Samuel 16:6-7 “When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD.’

“But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’" NIV

He went on the pass seven of Jesse’s sons past him and the Lord said “No” to each one. God was looking for a kingly heart not a kingly physique. Well, Jesse asked if had any other sons. He said that he had a younger son attending the sheep. As you know, if was David, and David had the heart of a king.

Proverbs reminds us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (4:23) and “My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad...” (23:15)

So, the beginning of any success in our life begins with our heart, who we am on the inside. We cannot be consistently good in our outer life and be bad inside. WeI may have our moments of success but ultimately the real heart, the real person will come through.

So, our prayer today is for a heart like Jesus. Lord Jesus, I pray as David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, renew a right spirit within me.” Start on the inside to make me what you want me to be. I really do want to do what is right and holy and pure and Christlike so help today by cleansing my heart from every sinful way and thought. AMEN.

Blessings!
Pastor Roger