The Essential Ingredient

It happens, sometimes. I write something that I didn’t know I knew, and become totally enamored of what I wrote. In this case, I made the statement that the most essential ingredient in a great marriage is not a mate, but God’s words. Are you as impressed with that statement as I am?

Think about it! The most important ingredient in a successful business is not financial backing, wealthy customers, or honest employees. The most important thing in successful parenting is not enough money or enough stuff or activities or a good education or even the right style of discipline. The most important ingredient in good physical health is not the right diet or the right exercise plan or even getting enough sleep.

Are you with me now? Are you "catching my drift"? When Moses said, "Man does not live by bread alone," He wasn’t suggesting that it was only food that was less essential than God’s words. Oh, no. Everything is less important than God’s words.

Let’s look at it from this angle. Do you remember Paul’s little progression in Romans? Faith comes by hearing the word of God; how can they hear without a preacher; how can they preach unless they are sent, and so on. This is so crucial because it is impossible to please God without faith. Pleasing God is essential because "if God is pleased with us," Caleb said, "He will cause us to inherit the land."

Oh my. No matter which way you look at it, you cannot inherit your land—or, in more modern terms, you cannot have success—without the words of God.

If you don’t believe me, take a look around. I know a fellow who is highly successful in business … and he has family problems like you wouldn’t believe. You may call that "success;" I don’t. I know a family that gets along pretty well, but their cars are barely roadworthy. I don’t call that success, either, although since they’re happy, that’s probably much nearer to what I’d call success. I know a woman who is highly successful socially—bunches of friends—but her finances are touch-and-go, and she is perpetually disturbed by the goings-on in her family of origin.

Mind you, the fact that Israel never possessed the entirety of the land that God had allotted to them is indicative of the fact that we always have room for an increase of success in our lives. What a tragedy, though, if we aren’t spending our whole lives hearing God’s voice, growing in faith, and experiencing increased success! If you think you’re successful enough in any area, I can only challenge you to "lift up your eyes, and look to the north, the south, the east, and the west." There is so much more peace and joy available to you, and there is so much more good you could be doing in the world.

And the essential ingredient in success is hearing every word that comes from God’s mouth.

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