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  • Four Keys to Success – God’s Way

    Four Keys to Success – God’s Way

    BY RICK BOXX 

    Early in my business career I spent a lot of time thinking about success. No one takes a job hoping or expecting to fail, so the alternative is to figure out how to succeed. At my disposal were books and audiotapes about achieving success, conferences where success tips were shared, and the insights of more seasoned people that I worked with.

    Years later, after striving to succeed in a variety of ways, I discovered a timeless, proven strategy for success. I found it in the Bible. The Scriptures provide many principles for experiencing a successful life and career, but here are four of the many examples that have stood out for me:

    In Genesis, we read that Abraham’s servant was given a very important responsibility. He was to travel to Abraham’s homeland and find a wife for Abraham’s son, Isaac. Success was critical. To travel over 400 miles and come back with the wrong woman would be disastrous for the servant. 

    Once the servant arrived at Abraham’s homeland, the servant still had the daunting task of determining which woman should he invite to return with him for Isaac. This servant wisely understood his task was impossible without God. So, he implemented the first key to success God’s way: He prayed. 

    In Genesis 24:12 the servant prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.” To experience success God’s way, turn to Him in prayer. 

    Joseph is another example. He went from being in prison to becoming Pharoah’s right-hand man, being entrusted with power over all of Egypt. Genesis 39:23 states, “The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.” 

    The second key to success God’s way is knowing success comes from God. If we seek God’s presence and obediently do what He asks of us, success is far more likely. God was with Joseph. 

    Imagine succeeding the most renowned leader of your time and being asked to perform the one feat your predecessor failed to do. This is precisely what Joshua faced when Moses anointed his replacement.   Joshua was fearful and seeking reassurance, but also wanted to know how he could possibly succeed. 

    In Joshua 1:8 God told Joshua, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” The third key to success God’s way is to meditate on and learn God’s Word.

    Unfortunately, learning and meditating on God’s Word only gets you so far. Joshua was informed, but he also had to “be careful to do everything written in it.” Many business leaders quote God’s Word, but if we want God’s favor, He expects our obedience. 

    Proverbs 2:6 states, “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless.” God wants us to succeed in our mission, but it requires us to follow the fourth key to success: obey His Word daily!

    © 2025, Unconventional Business Network. Adapted with permission from “UBN Integrity Moments”, a commentary on faith at work issues. Visit www.unconventionalbusiness.org. UBN is a faith at work ministry serving the international small business community.

    Reflection/Discussion Questions

    1. Without considering what you have just read in this Monday Manna, suppose a young business or professional person were to ask you, “What are the keys to success in the marketplace?” How would you answer?
    2. Many people would state that God has nothing to do with a person’s success, that it is all up to their own abilities, determination and initiative. What response would you have for them?
    3. Can you think of any other principles for success that you have seen presented in the Bible? Do you agree that seeking to achieve success God’s way is the best way? Why or why not?
    4. Have you ever prayed about a situation or problem you were facing in the workplace? If so, what kind of response did you receive – if any? How has that shaped your perspective on prayer as it relates to job responsibilities? 

    NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages: Psalm 119:9-11,14-16,24; Matthew 6:25-27, 33; Ephesians 2:10; 2 Timothy 3:16-17

    Challenge for This Week
    You might consider setting aside some time this week to consider and perhaps re-evaluate your approach toward success – both at work and in your life in general. 

                Find someone to discuss this with – a mentor, an accountability partner, members of your CBMC group if you are in one. What are their perspectives on success, and how do they relate to the four keys to success God’s way as cited in this Monday Manna.

    Matt Trayler

  • An Important Part of Work is Getting Enough Rest

    An Important Part of Work is Getting Enough Rest

    BY ROBERT J. TAMASY

    Someone described spectator sports in this way: Thousands of fans sitting in their seats – people desperately in need of exercise – watching athletes desperately in need of rest. Many of us have a great need for more physical activity. At the same time, however, rest is something we also require – especially as we negotiate the stressful, frenetic business and professional world.

    Years ago, I had been in the midst of a very hectic schedule: Lots of early morning meetings, demanding daily schedules and deadlines, and a considerable amount of travel. An illness suddenly stopped me in my tracks. Forced to remain at home for several days, I would sit down and try to do some important reading but very quickly would fall asleep. I had not realized how weary I had become. A few days later I was back to work, reinvigorated, and keenly aware of my need for getting sufficient rest.

    In some professions the 40-hour week is regarded as working ‘part-time.’ It is not unusual for people in some businesses to work 70, 80, even 100 hours a week! While there might be times when such schedules are unavoidable, working at that pace over long periods of time will inevitably take a toll physically, mentally, emotionally, relationally – and spiritually.

    The Scriptures speak to this. While we often read calls to action and faithful service to God and His purposes, we also find instructions to rest – both body and spirit. Here are some examples:

    Rest is fitting for everyone – even God. The first chapter of Genesis describes all God did in creating the heavens, the earth, and all of the universe. Then we are told once His work was done, He chose to rest. “By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work” (Genesis 2:2).

    God designed us for rest. One of the 10 Commandments is for us to set aside a day for “sabbath rest,” hitting the pause button from all our labors, regardless of what form they may take. No matter who we are, no matter what we do, we all need time to rest. “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest, even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest” (Exodus 34:21). 

    Sabbath rest is a gift, not a burden. When God ordained the Sabbath day, He did not do so to institute new regulations. He did it for our benefit, to remind us of the importance of rest and renewal. “Then [Jesus] said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath’” (Mark 2:27). 

    Taking time to rest can be a form of worship. One of the worst admonitions anyone can make is, “Do as I say, not as I do.” When God instructs His people to rest, He points to Himself as an example of doing just that. “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God, for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His” (Hebrews 4:9-10). 

    There is a time to work – and a time to rest. Many of us are busily trying to do things for God, and that is good. But the Scriptures also tell us there is a time to slow down, rest, and focus on Him. “Trust in the Lord and do good…. Delight yourself in the Lord…. Commit your way to the Lord…. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him…” (Psalm 37:3-7). 

    © 2025. Robert J. Tamasy has written Marketplace Ambassadors: CBMC’s Continuing Legacy of Evangelism and Discipleship; Business at Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace; Pursuing Life With a Shepherd’s Heart, coauthored with Ken Johnson; and The Heart of Mentoring, coauthored with David A. Stoddard. Bob’s biweekly blog is: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com.

    Reflection/Discussion Questions

    1. Describe your typical work schedule each week. If an objective observer were to evaluate it, do you think you would be regarded as working excessively, even being a so-called ‘workaholic’? Why or why not?
    2. How good are you at resting? When you take time to rest and relax, what does that look like? Do you think you give yourself sufficient time to recharge physically and mentally?
    3. What role do you think that rest – taking a deliberate break from work, for a few minutes or a day or even a week – can play in our spiritual growth and development?
    4. In what ways can a commitment to getting sufficient rest affect our productivity at work, as well as our sense of joy, satisfaction and fulfillment in what we do?

    NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages: Deuteronomy 5:12-14; Psalm 23:1-4, 46:10; Isaiah 40:29-31; Matthew 11:28-30; Mark 6:30-31

    Challenge for This Week
    Looking at the week ahead of you, do you feel rested, refreshed and renewed, or do you feel weary and beaten down even before the week gets underway?

    Take some time to pray and reflect on your balance between work and rest. We are called to work diligently and faithfully, but if we are not sufficiently rested, eventually that will be reflected in the quality and quantity of our work. It might be helpful to discuss this with a mentor and small group of trusted friends.

    Matt Trayler

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