True Success

[00:00:07] Speaker A: Welcome to the weekday podcast of Sugar Hill Church, where we desire to help you know God and discover your purpose, whether you're exercising, driving, meditating, or just hanging out while you tune in with us today. Thanks. We hope these next five minutes help you feel encouraged and inspired for your day. [00:00:22] Speaker B: Hi, everybody. Pastor Chuck Allen here with another weekday podcast. And today I want to talk about success. What does it really mean? For most of us, we've been fed a version of success that's tied to external markers, promotions, salary bumps, the perfect house, an Instagram worthy vacation. You get the picture, right? But what if it's about the internal shifts? The way we show up for ourselves and for others, the growth you experience and the life you build based on your values? I believe God desires us to deeply want the best. And by the way, that's a matter of trust. Do we trust that his way is the best? I wrote an article on achuckallen.com about success, and I threw down these six items that I thought were pretty key to success. 1. You learn to stress less over things that you cannot control. I mean, how great is that? If you've gotten to the point where you no longer let those things dictate your emotions, you're already a success. 2. Comfortable with authenticity. Authenticity, y'all is magnetic. I mean, it means being comfortable with your quirks, your strengths, your flaws, and your boundaries, knowing God made no mistake when he made the wonderful you. 3. You've built meaningful friendships. I mean, relationships that are meaningful and purposeful in our life. These friendships, they don't come easy. They take time and energy. But God built us to be able to live in community with one another. 4. We're willing to become accountable. Let's be clear. Being accountable doesn't mean doing everything on your own. It means you take ownership of your actions while still recognizing the importance of support systems and help when needed. It's a pretty delicate balance that only truly successful people will ever strike. 5. You've discovered purpose in your life. You know, I've discovered that our Creator loves to walk with us as we discover his purpose for us. As a matter of fact, he holds it in his hands, just waiting for us to chat with him about what is next. 6. You're committed to lifelong learning. I love this. When Paul chats with Timothy, he's talking nonstop about how we're to continue to grow in Christ. That's lifelong learning. It isn't about accumulating degrees. It's not about more certifications. It's about staying open to all the ways God wants us to grow, to challenge our assumptions, to adapt to the ever changing world around us and grow up in Christ to be able to grab hold of success as he sees it so today. Remember, success doesn't always look the way we imagine it, and it doesn't always come with flashy titles or big accolades. Real success comes by walking in peace with our Creator, discovering His purpose in our life and to know him face to face. God bless you friend. Thanks so much for joining me on today's weekday podcast. [00:03:28] Speaker A: Thanks so much for joining us today for the weekday podcast. Our prayer is that the encouragement you just heard would help you live more like Jesus today. We would love to see you at Sugar Hill Church for one of our gatherings each Sunday at 9, 15 and 11 and we're always streaming live at Live Sugarhill Church. Thanks again for joining us today. As always, if today's message encouraged you, share it with friends and family by tapping the share button. Have an awesome. [00:04:00] Speaker B: Don't.