“Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the LORD and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses. And the LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook” – 2 Kings 18:5-7.

The surge in the number of people desiring to know the secrets of successful people has given room for many ‘How To’ books, followed by promotional tours, seminars, conferences and television programs. All these promise an easy road to success. However, a simple survey of readers, viewers, and attendees of such activities may reveal a small percentage who become successful themselves. The truth is, knowing somebody’s path to success does not guarantee success by itself. It takes commitment, dedication, discipline, and hard work to be successful. Praying day and night and wishing for success will not cut it, if the person is not prepared to commit to the discipline that will ensure the success they desire.

A student who wants to pass their examination must be willing to put in the hours, concentration and discipline success requires. Those who want to be successful entrepreneurs must be ready for the rigors, challenges, and sacrifices that come with it. Likewise, those who want to be presidents and CEOs of corporations must train themselves in servanthood, discipline, humility, and the readiness to endure the scrutiny that comes with the office. The problem of today’s church is the number of pastors without the humility, integrity, and discipline to yield to the headship of Christ as Lord of the local assembly they lead. So, many people, corporations, organizations, and churches look successful by size, but are complete failures. What then is success?

Success is an accomplishment that is groomed out of integrity and is dressed in garbs of peace and contentment that bless others. It proceeds from God and is fashioned in Christ. For the fact is, there is no real success without the fear of God. That’s why many who are successful in the eyes of the world are privately living in hell. The late Howard Hughes, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson are monuments that remind the world that success is more than being on top of one’s game. It takes knowing Christ and allowing one’s heart to be gripped by His love and affection to apprehend success. As King Solomon aptly says, “the blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and He adds no sorrow to it” (Prov. 10:22). Paul says that, “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1Tim. 6:6).

King Hezekiah was “successful in whatever he undertook” simply because he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. As a result, God blessed him (2 Kings 18: 3-7). He trusted in the Lord, held fast to Him, did not cease to follow Him, and kept His commandments (5-6). That’s the recipe for real success; and if that’s what you desire, then don’t just learn to know how to be successful. Purpose in your heart to know God and follow Him completely, and you will have the peace you deserve in your life.