Do you need a relationship with Christ in order to make money? No. You can be rolling in cash and not be inclined to honor God so that’s obvious.

But you need a relationship with Christ in order to succeed. If you define success in terms of the attainment of an enduring brand of happiness, then yes, you’re going to need and want something beyond that which is transient to secure a sense of fulfillment. Otherwise, the goalposts never stop moving and you wind up more frustrated than fulfilled.

Check it out…

• Nothing happens on this planet that isn’t either blessed or allowed by God, hence no one can ever take credit for the success that they’ve achieved.
• Success, as in the pursuit of happiness, can’t be achieved by the mere acquisition of material goods or any kind of credentials. Reason being is that the more you have, the more you want. Any accomplishment, once completed, inevitably leads to yet another project that must be done. The more you know, the more you realize you have yet to know. The goal posts never stop moving, it is a “chasing after the wind.” Consequently, any lasting sense of contentment and happiness is impossible.
• It is through your relationship with Christ that you’re able to base your sense of fulfillment and joy on Something that doesn’t change. While there is a place for ambition, business savvy and the pursuit of success in the life of a believer, in order to avoid the pointlessness of the typical human pursuit of happiness, your target must always be the Purpose and Plan of your Heavenly Father.

Nothing happens on this planet that isn’t either blessed or allowed by God, hence no one can ever take credit for the success that they’ve achieved.

God is Sovereign and He’s the One that either blesses or allows anything and everything that occurs on this planet. Whether a person acknowledges Him or not is speculative, but nothing is ever accomplished without God either blessing it or allowing it.

Consider this:

We’re all created by God:

The power and opportunity to do anything comes from God:

All authority comes from God:

God is intimately aware of everything that happens, right down to the most seemingly trivial and inconsequential occurrence:

And it’s not just a matter of “being aware.” Everything that occurs must first be filtered through the will of God. Again, He either blesses it or allows it, but nothing ever happens without God’s permission.

So from that standpoint, there are no “self-made” men or women. Whatever we accomplish, whatever we have, comes from God – whether we give Him the credit for it or not (see Jas 1:17).

There’s part one. What do you think? Am I on the right track? Am I missing something? Tell me what you think!