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            We are born with a desire to be successful—and are not happy unless we achieve some type of success.  God wants everyone to be exalted—and says Ezekiel 21:26 “The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low.”  The man who humbly said Luke 18:13 “God be merciful to me a sinner,” was justified and forgiven by God 14 “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

            When things do not turn out as we had hoped; when we are disappointed and have losses instead of gains; or have failed instead of succeeded, we are unhappy, dejected, and discouraged.  It is not God’s will that we be defeated or have a lack of something—we were created to be happy.

            There are two kinds of success in the world—human success and divine success.  Only divine exaltation, however, is the safe kind.  Human success—which is by leaving God out of our plans—is dangerous and is accompanied by all kinds of trouble—eventually leading to the lake of fire.

            God has success and victory for His people in everything—spiritual, physical, moral, social, workplace, finances, in the home, and everything else.  God’s exaltation always safeguards our present and eternal interests.  Any success outside of God’s will, brings serious trouble in the end.

            King Asa faced an army of one million enemy troops.  The first time he met it right by placing the battle in God’s hands.  2 Chronicles 14:11-12 “Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.  So the LORD smote the Ethiopians.”

            In the latter part of his reign, the King of Israel came against King Asa and the people of Judah.  Instead of going to God as he had the first time, he asked the Syrian king for help.  Syria came to their aid and Israel was defeated.  The first success was in a divine way, but the second in a human way; the results were much different.

            The first divine success resulted in various blessings and enjoying many years of peace.  The second human success brought many hardships and disaster for King Asa.  A prophet came and told the king that he had acted foolishly, and from that time he would experience trouble.  Instead of repenting and meeting it right, the king put the prophet in prison, and even oppressed some of the people—adding sin to sin.

            When the king was seriously oppressed with a deadly disease, he had no faith in God, so he turned to man for help.  It says 2 Chronicles 16:12 “his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.”  There is no mention of repenting or turning back to trust on God.  Two years later he died and went to the lake of fire with no hope of ever getting out of that horrible place.

            This example shows that human success is dangerous, so we must carefully consider the difference between, and the eventual outcome to, human success and divine success.  Human success is dangerous and divine success is valuable.  The pathway to divine success is a true repentance and a real commitment—giving up anything that is contrary to God’s will, and accepting His will with all things.

            If we will do our part in this, God will do His part, because He is always faithful.  1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  A full surrender made, is a living sacrifice offered.  Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

            We are to accept God’s forgiveness by faith; truly believe we are cleansed from sin; and that God has taken possession of our heart and life by His Holy Spirit within.  Romans 10:10 “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

            If our attitude is that we will allow God to have His way in every detail of life, then our repentance and surrender is real.  God’s Word and plan and way, are to prevail with everything—not only our spiritual attitude toward Him and His Word, but also having a right attitude toward everything and everyone else—at work; in the home; with friends; if oppressed in body; during a financial battle, and toward anything else.

            This full surrender is not a matter of sight or feeling, but a matter of faith and trust on God—once a final choice is made.  God’s exaltation is not possible if our foundation of faith is not correct.  If we have committed our life to God right, we have an Atonement right to claim our deliverance, our victory, and success with whatever we are doing or facing.

            Satan will be persistent in getting us to think we are not forgiven; that our sins are not erased; or that the Holy Spirit is not in control.  The Spirit of the Lord cannot reign in any life until they first believe that He is reigning in their heart—by faith and faith alone.

            God tells us the path we are to walk if we expect to have things go to suit us; if we expect to meet with success in the Christian life; to have our spiritual and eternal interests safeguarded, and later come to the place of divine exaltation.

            1 Peter 2:18-19 “Servants [employees], be subject to your masters [employer, boss] with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward [harsh, cross, and unreasonable].  For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.”

            Most employees will not put up with harsh treatment today, and will seek employment elsewhere, rather than be subjected to unfair or unreasonable management.  But if we want God to thank us, then we must be ready to meet employment issues in a scriptural way.

            1 Peter 2:20 “For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently?”  When we make a mistake; have not done our work right, or we cost the company money, then anyone would expect to be reprimanded, warned, or lectured.  “But if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.”

            When we make no mistakes; when we do our work well; put in overtime hours to help the company, and yet we are given no consideration, approval, or praise—but we patiently take the unfair treatment, and keep on doing our work well as before, God thanks us.

            Real Christianity is involved in this.  It means we do not strike back; we do not quit a job if things do not go to suit us; it means not getting angry and not complaining, but staying on the job and doing our work as if the boss were the best of employers.

            Humanly-speaking, we could not react in a scriptural way on these issues, and we are not asked to do this by our own strength or ability—but only after we have truly repented; have accepted God’s righteousness, and are asking Him to help us respond correctly by His Holy Spirit.

            God does not ask, nor expect, us to obey one command in the New Testament, until we have made a final decision—that through the Blood of Jesus Christ and on the authority of His Word—we are free from the grip of Satan and the power of sin, so we can respond as the Word explains.  The Holy Spirit is in us, and the Blood of Christ has delivered us—that is why we can do it.

            Following the Scriptures on workplace issues is totally opposite from the world’s way of meeting wrongs, mistreatment, prejudice, and unreasonable demands.  When we have done nothing wrong, and have really done our best for the company, but our employer takes no notice and instead, treats us as if we did some wrong—that is the opportunity we have to prove we are committed to follow God’s Word—it is the Bible standard of Christianity.

            Real Christianity consists of meeting things in this way.  If we are working for an employer—doing the best we can to please them, and to try in every way possible to make money for them, but they ignore us, put us down, and show no appreciation whatever, we are to take it patiently and keep on working as if they did appreciate our work.

            We are to be just as nice toward them and be just as faithful an employee, as if they had complimented us.  That is true Christianity—anything short of it is not worth a thing—it is not God’s Truth.  1 Peter 2:21 “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.”

            There is a reason we have to walk that path—it is not only the path of divine exaltation and success in this life, but it is the only path that leads to eternal life—the straight and narrow road to the kingdom.  1 Peter 2:22-23 [Jesus] “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.”

            If we will leave our wrongs in the hands of the One who always judges rightly and justly, we will be exalted in due time, and be successful in the Christian life.  The result of meeting things in God’s way is clearly explained.

            Philippians 2:9-11 “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

            The path to divine success and exaltation is all through Scripture Philippians 2:14 “Do all things without murmurings and disputings [arguments].”  Not many in the world are following that advice—but it is the path to being exalted—the divine way 15 “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.”

            True children of God do not argue or complain when insulted, offended, or treated unfairly.  They bear it patiently and meet it in humility—leaving it in God’s hands to correct, solve, and bring justice, because 1 Peter 5:5 “God resists [is against and opposes] the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”  It is following the Word—and being exalted in due time!