Thought of the Day: The Price of Success
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of they lord. (Matthew 25:23)
You must ask yourself if you are willing to pay the price to get the blessing. Another question people seldom ask themselves is whether they are willing to endure the criticism and the ridicule that come with success.
With these questions we have already weeded out half the people who say they want something from the Lord. We have weeded out all the women who say they want a husband and children but don’t want to cook, care, or clean. We have weeded out all the men who say they want a wife but don’t want to love, provide, and nourish! Most people are in love with the image of success, but they haven’t contemplated the reality of possessing the blessing. It is a good thing God doesn’t give us everything we ask for because we want some things simply because they look good in someone else’s life. The truth is, we are not ready for those things and it would probably kill us to receive what we are not prepared to maintain…
So you’re whimsically toying with the idea of exercising your ability to receive a blessing? This is a good place to start. I believe that God starts His children out with what they have to teach consistency on the level they are on. There must be an inner growth in your ability to withstand the struggles that accompany the things you have. I am so glad that God allowed me to go through the pain-ridden days of stress and rejection early in my life. I found out that if you really want to pursue your dream, there is a place in God whereby you build up an immunity to the adversity of success. It is simply a matter of survival. Either you become immune to the criticism and confusing pressures and isolation, or you go absolutely stark raving, mouth-foaming mad!
Day 349 from Hope for Every Moment: 365 Days to Healing, Blessings, and Freedom Devotional and Journal
i hereby say thank you 4 all your Wisdom, Love and Teachings you gave. You are truely Not a false teacher/prophet, But a True man of God. Shalom!! Pastor Louis Marsburg, Peace in Truth Ministries, South Africa
This is so true…”question people seldom ask themselves is whether they are willing to endure the criticism and the ridicule that come with success.”
At times, words of my dad transverse through my mind. Wise sayings that he told me when I was a youth.
Dad said “son, you can’t make omelets without breaking eggs.”
He said “son, you can’t rub the precious oil without crushing the olive and neither can you taste the wine without pressing the grapes.”
I remember a message that you preached years ago, Can You Stand To Be Blessed?
The Word of God, His Holy Spirit Sustains Me.
I’m still here and I’m still standing. After all of the criticisms, horse crap thrown my way, after all the humiliations. I’m still standing.
People shouldn’t compare suffering or success with individuals because no person starts out the same nor do they go through life’s process the same and neither one end up being the same person after enduring the fiery furnace.
God gave each person who believe in Jesus Christ, his or her own identity in Christ. No person can be me and I can’t be no other person.
Those of us, who have discovered our identity in life and most importantly in Christ should be comfortable around other people small or great in status or in stature.
I would love for this tireless process to end. My children have celebrate two birthdays since my arrival in Dallas. Two birthdays, I’ve missed celebrating with my beloved children.
My daughter’s graduation is this month and she need me. My son need me.
I have no income. No working income. Like other Americans, I must find work. I find small hustles on the street to survive.
The Dream has never failed. Why do I need to do a song and dance for anyone?
When the Dream has never failed.
I never thought it would take so long to get help.
I have no hatred against no person. No person is worth the stressful acidic toxins that comes with hatred or bitterness.
Furthermore, God is our Avenger. He will vindicate. Exceedingly great is the love of God for us.
Keep going strong Bishop.
Dear Bishop in all sincerity,what a word for today, in all that we’re all experiencing or witnessing. Your words have truly offered a reality checklist of examination, a guide that’s empowering for completion of the course and encouragement to keep going, because I am so close. Yes, I agree it all comes at cost of some sort and I’ve found that at times sifting is God’s uncomfortable necessity. Talking about laying aside every weight that has tried to so easily beset thee/me. I really didn’t expect to see a fresh word entry for today, but I sit here and thank God that these words are the responsive conversation I needed from Him TODAY. Praise be to God that I found the location! God bless you and yours and may He continue to render you victor of even higher ground.
This message couldn’t have come at a better time. Thanks!
Amen.
I agree that the price of success should be taken into consideration. Sacrifices that you make should be carefully evaluated. You should take risks in your success journey,but there should be risks with wisdom applied. I have found that relationships are the first to be tried in your journey of success. Those who start with you will not finish with you. Not because of anything else but that their mission for that part of your life has been completed. There will be times that you have to ask yourself is all of this worth it? Is the journey from here to there worth a season of lack and lonliness? I do find that this adversity that you face in trying to reach destiny helps builds your faith muscles for each level of success that you will encounter.
man! you are so right. You have to first go through the struggles and hardness of life, in order to make it to the blessings god has for you. In the many years of my life, I went through a lot of dry places, i thought god wanted me to fell at everything I did. I thought that GOD wanted me to be poor all the days of my life. Because that period seemed so,so,so,so, long. But you know what? I started speaking and thinking good things happening for me. I told myself in 2009, when I go to these job interviews I’m going to claim that I’m hired. After all that rejection I got from those interviews, I still didn’t give up, I kept the faith. “I got this job”. By the time that next job interview came, I said to myself, ” I got this job”. You know what? I got the job. Out of all the years of pain, dissappointment, rejection so on, and so on, the mystery from that was, god was making me into a warrior. He was marinating me. I got to know him better in the pit, than in the rainbow. Now, nobody can tell me what GOD can’t do. I know for myself. I”m more wiser,stronger, and better. Yeah ha,ha,ha,ha, I do too thank god that I went through that. Because now I’m tremendously blessed. It feels good for people to walk in my home and say, wow you have a gorgeous house,car, clothes etc. I say to myself, ” wow they’re talkin to the girl that was rejected and struggled for so long”. Is this me or am I in a dream. “NO”. The bible says your enemies shall call you BLessed. Jacobs name was changed to israel. My name was changed to BLESSED! LOve you so much papa and mama Jakes!
Amen….I am going through so I shall just relax and receive this! This too shall pass! It is not over until God says it’s over! God knows where to lead us to drink from fresh springs and wells when our well runs dry on our way to being successful in Him and for His name sake.
In Christ Jesus…..we move and live and have our being…..we can go the distance regardless of rejection, humiliation and false accusations if only we drink from His well!
“…..but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14
Thank you Bishop! Many blessings!
Thank you Bishop Jakes for sharing your advise on the Power Of Success this is so awesome.I was so nervious at first how God is going to bless me.I know God is taking me there Bishop Jakes and I really needed to read this.God is so good because I pray to God to order my steps as he bring me in the place of blessing that I don’t forget that it was he that brought me out.So often time Bishop Jakes we think that we ready for the higher success that God have for us.I thank God that he started me off the way he did.Because Bishop Jakes I wouldn’t been ready for it all I would have done was to waste it and misused it.Sometimes God have to take us through the process of how to handle the small things before we get to the great things that God has prepared for us.We don’t always understand the process and it can be confusing.But God know what we need and when we need it.Success is not about how well know are you.Success is how well can you handled to be bless and walk in the intergity of God without losing yourself.I thank God Bishop Jakes that he didn’t give me what I ask him,but rather took me through a journey of lack and learning how to appreciate what I have.The small things as well of the big things.
Thank You Bishop Jakes for leting God use you in a powerful way.I have really been bless being under your ministry.I have learn so much and grown in the things of God.It really makes a great difference when you are under great leadership.
(P.S)
Thank you for not letting success rule or control you.But you have the control over success, that you are able to teach others and not be selfish.
God Bless You,
Thank you:
From my view, I am truly a child of God, if being talked about is a signal or being abused or wondering if I have been forgotten. I have comforted myself in the fact that if my burden is an indicator of my reward when my time come I can smile through the pain. Although I do have a question? By the time the Bride Groom gets there no wonder the brides are asleep. But then Jesus, Job, and all the others had to scream “how much longer”
My prayers have been answered. I prayed for a safe and comfortable move to Texas. I am here after a safe and comfortable trip. I prayed that I might receive my SSD, which would allow me to return to school and finish my ph.d. I received word today that I was approved. I owe thanks to God through Jesus through Bishop TD Jakes.
Thanks
Hi,
My first time on the blog, I am going thru a transition at the moment, and advisory is hitting me from the left and the right; but with open heart & arms I am accepting them; I told myself it’s for the good, and there are a lot of people going thru worst, and I keep thanking god for the blessings that I already received; but deep down inside I know God is preparing me for something, something big!!. Last Saturday when I sit on my bed and cry real heard when I realize the City tax office clean our bank account for back taxes, I look up to God and said “God it is so painful, but I know you are preparing me for something, and I am happy for the training ground I am going thru”. I said to myself how comes I have this peace within when buildings are falling down around me; but it the trust in God that I have keeps me in this place of peace. I listen to reposition my place every morning while on my way to work, and this is helping me thru the transition.
I needed this. My family needed this. My ministry leaders need this. The Church needed this. I thank God for you and your ministry. God knows what you need before we even ask for it.
Thank you for such inspiring words. I have been through a lot lately but I have also realised that everytime I go though something, I get out of it with something supernatural. God has given me so many chances and his grace and mercy has sustained me to this point. I’m all the way from South Africa and I listen to your DVD’s and its amazing how i can watch or listen to your sermons so many times but I get a new revelation everytim
Thank you for the timely word… Bishop may God continue to bless and keep you, your family and the people who work at your ministry
Hi,
May God continue to bless and keep you and your family! I started following your ministry years ago through the Woman Thou Art Loosed conferences and later MegaFest. I am from Birmingham, Al. I moved to Texas in 2007 to start a new life for my family. Speaking of people to work in your ministry. I have been sitting in the Potter’s House Pews enjoying the feasts.. But God is telling me it’s time to take on a new role. I know that I’m a natural teacher, God has put me in your mist for a purpose. That purpose, he will reveal to you Bishop. Please let me know what he reveals to you!!! Thank You,
Gayle Henry