What does it take to be successful? Here’s a definition I like from author and motivational speaker Jack Canfield:

“Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them. They stay focused on their past successes rather than their past failures, and on the next action steps they need to take to get them closer to the fulfillment of their goals rather than all the other distractions that life presents to them.”

According to Canfield, we need to stay focused in order to be successful, focus is to keep us moving forward and remembering the past. In this case Canfield makes a distinction that the past we focus on needs to be on past triumphs. Both these concepts might not seem revolutionary but they are insightful.

I will also argue that Canfield is touching on Biblical principles. One of my favorite passages is Hebrews 10:35-36, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised” (NIV). This passage is a daily reminder for me to stay focused as I persevere in Christ, not forgetting the past successes I have in Him.

This week as we pick back up with our Nehemiah: Building on the Will of God series we will be looking at the completion of
the wall. Even though there is triumph at the end of this story, we will see that there were many distractions as well. These distractions could have been deadly! This week we will learn from Nehemiah how to resist distractions and find skills to stay laser focused. May we persevere as Nehemiah did to find true success in life.

Grace and Peace!
Pastor Geraldo