I came across these top five characteristics as I was reading a book called “Upgrade: 10 Secrets for the best education for your child,” by Kevin Swanson. In it he referenced the book “The Millionaire Mind,” and a survey of 733 millionaires. The author had consolidated the characteristics from the top 100, to the top 30 and finally down to the top 5 characteristics these millionaires believed were vital for their success.

I believe we can teach our children each of these characteristics in the process of developing our home into a productivity center to serve others. We can continually ask ourselves, “How can we add value to others?” When we help our children to be productive in the service of others they will see how necessary they are to God’s plans, and purposes. When children learn to provide a service of care for others they will experience the significance of being a vessel of honor in God’s kingdom.

Top Five Characteristics

1. Honesty
2. A Supportive Spouse
3. Self Control
4. Hard Work
5. Get along with people

When I put these in context of the five life roles it looks like this:

Success as a Person:

This requires that I be honest in all my dealings and makes me a credible messenger worthy of trust. Remember, people do business with people they trust. “Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.” (See 1 Peter 2:12)

Action Step: Develop the Character Trait of Truthfulness

Success as a Partner:

This requires learning how to support my spouse as a servant. Being trustworthy as a person leads to a trusting and intimate relationship in my marriage. Couples who build trust can support one another in their life calling because they walk together in agreement. (See Amos 3:3) In order to do this, we need to learn how to understand one another and listen to the wise counsel of a spouse. “Likewise, ye wives, [be] in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives…Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” (See 1 Peter 3)

Action Step: Learn the Skills of a Courageous Conversation

Success as a Parent:

This requires self control because children do what we do, not what we say. When a child learns to manager his life by sacrificing present pleasures for future benefits, he will succeed at the highest level of his potential. “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge self-control; and to self-control patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (See 2 Peter 1:6-8)

Action Step: Learn the Character Trait of Self-Control

Success as a Provider:

This requires diligent work. “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean (average) men.” (See Proverbs 22:29)

Action Step: Teach Your Children to Work by Doing Chores.

Success as a Proclaimer:

This requires that we get along with people. “The desire of a man is his kindness.” (See Proverbs 19:22) People are fired from work, and marriages end in divorce because we lack the ability to get along. Since life consists of relationships, our greatest joys will come from the Spirit enabling us to love God and others.

Action Step: Develop a Noble Identity Statement

Through doing this, you can find your security and significance in God. When you have received these vital elements of life from God, you have something to willingly offer others. This makes you a giver instead of a taker.

Posted by Chris Hogan on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 at 16:06 PM