Ecclesiastes 11:1-10

Success is defined in many different ways in our society.  For some success is synonymous with wealth, for others power and influence are the indicators of success.  True success is not found in prosperity, power or position.  From God’s perspective our success has a lot more to do with our character than our title or the bottom line of our business.  Solomon points out three character qualities that will help us to be successful from God’s perspective.

THE VALUE OF BENEVOLENCE: Wealth is not evil in and of itself; nor is it a sign of blessing in our lives.  Wealth is simply a resource that can be used in positive or a negative way.  Our attitude towards wealth will reveal a great deal about our character.  One of the best things that we can do with our wealth is to use it to bless others.  When we share our wealth with others we will usually end up gaining far more than we have given.  It is wise to distribute our giving in several directions as it will expand our relationships and multiply the chances that we have of averting disaster in the future.  It is not wise to put all of our giving into one person or one cause.

THE VIRTUE OF DILIGENCE: If there is one thing that we are good at, it is making excuses as to why we won’t work.  Too much rain, sun or wind are all commonly used to rationalize laziness.  God is at work in the circumstances that we face and will often use adversity in our lives to build or character and make us successful.  There is always a risk involved with work because no matter how careful we are there will be failures and our work will not pay off.  Crops fail, businesses go bad and some investments lose money.  These facts must never be used to rationalize laziness.  Diligence is a virtue that is its own reward.  It is not a guarantee of prosperity but it is a guarantee of character in our lives.  Laziness on the other hand, will always lead to poverty and failure as well as poor character.


THE VISION OF PRUDENCE: Prudence is one of the greatest character qualities that we can possess.  It allows us to look at life from an eternal perspective.  There are many pleasures on this earth that have been created by God for us to enjoy.  The warmth of the sun and the vitality of youth are tremendous blessings that God wants us to enjoy.  However, pleasure can be a very dangerous thing.  All of our deeds are done in the presence of God who stands over us as the Judge of all men.  Every man will give an accounting of his life before the Lord so a prudent man will keep this at the forefront of his mind.  God condemns the life of complaining and discontent as well as the life of immorality and injustice.  He is honored when we rejoice in the pure pleasures of this life as long as we exercise prudence in not giving in to the sinful desires of our hearts.

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