PRINICIPLES OF SUCCESS Part 1

Do you want to be a miserable failure? Of course not! No one wants to fail, but many have not attained the level of success that they desire. Why not? Because being successful involves following a certain set of principles that many have neglected. In the following paragraphs I have outlined seven principles that were originally defined by the founder of the Worldwide Church of God, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong. If applied, these principles can lead you on the pathway to success.

1. Set the right goals

Before you can even begin to work toward being successful, you must set the right goal. Setting the right goal gives you direction and purpose.

Imagine that you decide to take a trip. Would it make sense to jump in your car and drive, ignoring road signs or directions? It is possible that you might discover an interesting place, but you also might drive around in circles. Would it not be much better to examine a map and consider all of your options and then develop a plan?

To reach physical and spiritual success, you must begin with the right goals. As Christians, our main goal should be to seek first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). After all, our main duty is to fear God and obey His laws (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

2. Education and preparation

In order to be successful, you must make needed preparations and acquire the necessary education that is required to reach your goal. For example, one of my goals is to become an elementary school teacher. Not only does this involve being knowledgeable about the material I will be teaching, but it also requires that I understand how to work with and motivate children.

Another aspect of becoming educated is to find the best sources to gather information. As we strive to become better Christians, our best source in acquiring knowledge is the Bible. Second Timothy 2:15 implies that we are to study to be approved by God. We also find several proverbs that urge us to gain wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 1:5; 9:9; 16:21-23). Wisdom can be gained by requesting counsel from those who are qualified to give advice (Proverbs 15:22).

3. Maintain health

This principle of achieving and preserving good health—physically, mentally and emotionally—is one that can easily be neglected, but it is vital. Can you be truly successful if you are continually ill? Reaching your goals will become difficult if you feel sick or tired much of the time.

Or you may reach a particular goal that you have sought, but if you are in poor health, you will not benefit as much from reaching that goal. There are those who are financially well-off but their lives are very stressful and they have severe health problems. They have indeed been successful in many ways, but unfortunately poor health is preventing them from fully enjoying it.

To reach physical and spiritual success, you must begin with the right goals.

Glorifying God in our bodies includes maintaining our health (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Achieving good health requires eating properly and getting the right amount of exercise and sleep that your body needs. Since our main goal should be to enter into God’s Kingdom, then this principle would also include maintaining our spiritual health. We can accomplish this through prayer, Bible study, meditation and occasional fasting.