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Friends, greetings in Jesus Name. Today, I will be sharing with you on what I title, “Success Is Not A Transferable Virtue.” Let me begin by saying that in life, nobody eats on your behalf; nobody succeeds on your behalf; and nobody grows on your behalf. Everyman must eat, grow, and succeed by himself. The Lord instructed the children of Israel saying, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8). In Deuteronomy 28:1-2, He said to them: “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God.” From the above scriptures, we can see that being successful in life is tied to diligence in paying heed to God’s command. Meaning, you do not lazily stumble into success. No! You do not wake up suddenly and find yourself to be seated on the throne like Joseph. As a slave in Egypt, the bible said Joseph was a successful man (Genesis 39:2). How? Because the spirit of the fear of the Lord was upon him, and he was diligent to hearken and do the biddings of the Lord that exalts a man which sets him apart as successful (Hebrews 1:9).

Beloved, success in life is earned, not bequeathed to lazybones (Proverbs 12:24; Proverbs 10:4). When the Lord told the children of Israel, “I will give you a land flowing with milk and Honey”, they didn’t open their mouths waiting for God to press milk and honey. They had to arise and wage a war against their enemy to claim their possession. Have you seen someone who took over a thriving business from his father, and not long the once successful business nosedives and goes extinct? Oh yes, I have seen some of such businesses in Nigeria. As a matter of fact, that led me years ago, during my doctoral degree dissertation to research on African Businesses, mostly Nigerians, on a topic titled: Succession Planning – Why most businesses die when the founder dies. The fact that your Dad is a successful business man does not make you one if you do not abide by the principles of business that made him successful; My daddy is born again does not make me a born again child of God if I have no regards for Jesus Christ in my life. Every man or woman must decide to be successful by making the right choices in life. Your father may have left a good name for you that can open a door, but if you display some character traits that dents the good name he has left behind, the society will shut the door against you. That’s why you hear people say things like: “He’s not like his father.”

That reminds me of the story of the prodigal son. The prodigal son had a father who was rich and successful. But he decided to live a riotous life. While the father was still alive, this unprincipled fellow didn’t wait for his father to die before demanding for his “Will” to be read. It’s like, Dad, since you’re not ready to die anytime soon, divide your estate and give me the portion of my inheritance now. The father divided his estate and gave him his portion. The prodigal son lacked the virtue of excellence, wisdom, and diligence that his father had. Why? He chose his own way. Like they say, “Every man must grow his own height”. You must learn to take responsibility for your life if you’re to be successful. The seed of greatness is in each and every one of us (Genesis 1:26-28). No one is born to be unsuccessful, useless, poor, and to perpetually depend on others. God didn’t place a mark on some people’s forehead that says – success – while others – poverty. No! We’re all fearfully and wonderfully made by God (Psalm 139:14). The bible declares in Isaiah 43:7, “Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”

Unfortunately, not everyone is walking in the glory and splendour that God has destined them to be. Why? Choices! The Lord said in Deuteronomy 30:19, “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” What choices are you making today? Where is your choice leading you? blessing or curse, success or failure. The choice is yours. Abraham dug his well to get water; Isaac didn’t rely on the well dug by his father. He had to dig his own well. The same sense of diligence was passed down to Jacob. It is not enough to claim – Abraham blessings are mine – and expect it to flow towards you. No! It is not automatic. You must do what Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did for the blessings of God to materialize in your life. Can you pay the sacrifice Abraham did? Can you obey God as He instructs you? The Lord said in Isaiah 1:19-20, “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Remember, you do not dream your way to breakthrough or success in life. Dreams are good, but not enough. You do not fold your hands after God shows a dream. You will wait till you die without seeing the manifestation. Like Joseph, you must get to work, and forget your coat of many colours. Your hands must get dirty, enmeshed in diligence. I hope you have been richly blessed. Hallelujah! Have a Fantastic Week. With love, Elvis!