Weekly Thought > Personal Growth > A Successful Condition
Select a Category:
A Successful Condition
Most of us view success as fame, accomplishment, and acquisition. Our society has chosen personality over character.
Christian success must be built on character, not personality or skill. The great qualities in life are involved in the character of a person, such as wisdom, integrity, honesty, loyalty, faith, forgiveness, and love. The Everyday Bible gives an interesting translation of Psalm 131: "Lord, my heart is not proud. I do not look down on others. I do not do great things and I cannot do miracles. But I am calm and quiet."
How can we claim Christian success unless our hearts are calm and quiet? Thomas Kelly, the eminent Quaker philosopher, said that inside each person there should be a quiet center that nothing can disturb.
The great Catholic mystics continually talked of the throne of God, which is in the innermost part of our heart, where no storm, tribulation, or temptation can disturb. Scripture says, "Greater is he that controls his spirit than he who takes a city." Obviously our condition is more than our accomplishment. In other words, our greatest accomplishment is our condition.
