Live Free with Josh Howerton - The Measure of Success | Ep. 363 | Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Episode Date: June 26, 2024

Failure is succeeding at something that doesn't really matter. What really matters? How about the fruit of the Spirit? Not that we would do it apart from Him, but that success is submitting to Him and allowing him to produce those fruits in us. For more information, visit lakepointe.church/dailydrive

Thanks for tuning in to today's Daily Drive with Lake Point Church, a daily dose of God's word for your morning drive. When the word, not the world, becomes the majority of your week, your life will start to change. For that reason, our prayer is that God will speak to you through today's devotional. For more digital content to feed your faith, visit lakepoint.comit. And now let's dive in to today's devotional. Hey, welcome to the Daily Drive. My name is Bro, and we've been spending some time in what is called the book of Ecclesiastes. It's really just the honest, vulnerable journal of a king named Solomon, who is saying to us in a proactive, preventative way, don't do what I did. In fact, he says, let me give you five easy ways to wreck your life. Number one, let pleasure drive you. Just chase your appetites. Let instant gratification be your life coach. Follow your heart. Be you. Live out your own truth. Let the pursuit of pleasure be your end game. And guaranteed, it will not end well. And then he says, and while you're out there chasing pleasure, go ahead and let success

totally consume you. We've been talking about this for a few days. Let me just wrap this up today by saying, none of this means that we are resigned to live mediocre, non-driven, non-passioned, non-ambitious lives. Quite the opposite. The more we know who we are, in God's eyes, the more we renew our mind to the truth that we are already accepted, secure, and significant. Then we can start to grow and flourish and produce and excel and love and live like never before, and success becomes a byproduct of living a God-centered, other-centered life instead of the self-centered thing that we used to chase. I think it was Patrick Morley. I first heard say this. Failure is to succeed at something that really doesn't matter.

Failure is to succeed at something that really doesn't matter. I remember when I heard it, it made me personally think when all is said and done, if your legacy basically consists of a few plaques on the wall, a nice portfolio, and a thousand lost golf balls, you've missed the point of life. I mean, you worked the image. You looked successful, but you never really lived. You never really loved. You left God out of the picture.

You chased an elusive image. instead of chasing after God and reflecting the image in which you were made. And I thought to myself, man, I want to succeed at what matters, don't you? When I was a young dad, I was battling some workaholic tendencies, fueled by insecurities. Some 40 years ago, I was prompted by the Holy Spirit one day. I never forget it. I can tell you where I was sitting. I was sitting at Gate 34 in the St. Louis Airport.

I was waiting for a TWA flight. That tells you how long ago this was when did TWA cease to exist, but I was coming back from yet another trip traveling the country, speaking to other people's kids. At the time, we had a two-year-old and went on the way, and I had really been away too much, doing quote-unquote kingdom work. Truth was, there was a shadow side, not a super ugly one, yet, but definitely headed there.

There was a little bit of this desire in me to be known, There was a shadow side of me that kind of liked seeing my name on promotional pieces, feeling like I was quote unquote in demand. So I sat there at gate 34 and started praying, search me, oh God, point out anything in me that you don't find attractive. And he did. And I got honest with myself and with God about all that junk. And I surrendered them to God early on and I decided that day in the St. Louis Airport,

I'm going to pour my life into my marriage and my kids. and my relationship with God and with them will define success for me. And I'm so grateful for that wake-up call. I'm still a flawed husband and a flawed dad, but I'm so proud of our kids. They're amazing people, and I'm so grateful for what God has done in them and through them. A few episodes ago, I told you that I asked 15 people about what makes a good leader, what makes a successful person. Then I asked them a follow-up question.

what would describe success for your kids? And this is what they said, to have more of Jesus than I did at a younger age, to discover what they were made to do and with a humble confidence, go do that. Another person said that they would not chase all the stuff that would damage their life. Another person said,

I would want my kids to still like me, want them to want to hang out with me, come to me for advice, that they would realize they don't have to be the best, just their best. person said that they would be generous, that they would have a healthy work ethic and healthy boundaries. Other people said that they would be honest, live beyond themselves, take up for the underdog, serve the poor, love God with all their heart, be filled with the fruit of the spirit,

that people would see in my kids, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentlest, faithfulness, and self-control. That's what ought to measure success. And you know what, gang, that's what ought to measure all of our success. You want some metrics? You want some measurable to see if you're making it or not? There you go. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. That's what measures success. I keep this piece written by Max Licato in my office and I read it frequently.

It says this. I choose love. No occasion justifies hatred, no injustice warns bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God does. I choose joy I will invite my God to be the God of circumstances I will refuse the temptation to be cynical

the tool of the lazy thinker I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings created by God I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than the opportunity to see God I choose peace I will live forgiven

I will forgive so that I may live I choose patience I will overlook the inconveniences of the world rather than complain that the weight is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fists at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage. I choose kindness. I'll be kind to the poor, for they are alone, kind to the rich, for they are afraid, and kind to the unkind, for such as how God has treated me. I choose goodness. I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked

before I will boast. I will confess before I accuse. I choose goodness. I choose faithfulness. Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home. I choose gentleness. Nothing is one by force.

I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it only be in praise. If I clench my fist, may it only be in prayer. If I make a demand, may it only be of myself. And I choose self-control. I'm a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot rule the eternal.

I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithful as gentle as self-control. To these, I commit my day.

If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace, and then when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest. I'm praying you'll be able to do that at the end of this day. See you back tomorrow. Thanks for tuning in today. For more biblical teaching and worship, join us for our church online live weekend services on Saturdays at 5 p.m. and Sundays at 9.30 and 11 a.m. Central Standard Time. For more information, visit lakepoint.church slash daily drive.