The following article was taken from the August 1905 issue of Success Magazine.

Talks with Young Men and Young Women.

“The wretched hoarder of money goes through life blind to all its beauties. Tottering on the edge of the grave, he can see nothing but the dollar-mark. He has sacrificed to the only god he knows—Gold—all that other men treasure as their greatest wealth—love, friendship, the joys of home and wife and children, peace of mind, happiness, everything that ennobles life and makes it worth living. What has he gained in return? A shriveled soul and a distended purse. His greed for gold has dried up all the noblest springs of his life, and stifled his aspirations for all that is good and beautiful and desirable in the eyes of sane men. Love, friendship, generosity, charity, are meaningless words to him. In the midst of a world radiant with beauty, teeming with interests, he lives shut within the narrow, gloomy cell of his own selfishness, with but one interest—to pile up more dollars.

“It is pitiful to see an old man begging for bread, but it is tragic to see an old man starving for spiritual food in the midst of his heaped-up gold.

“There is a so-called success which bears the same relation to a community as do certain noxious or poisonous plants to a garden. They draw from the soil’s rich nutriments and rob other plants and flowers of their nourishment and beauty.

“Of what use to a community is a man who never gives back anything if he can help it? If he has no idea of the principle of the Golden Rule; if he does not think there is any need of its application on his part; if his sole ambition is to get and to hoard, or selfishly to enjoy, what is he but an encumbrance on the earth? If it is possible to call this kind of a life a success, because the man, by fair means or foul, happens to become a millionaire, it is certainly one that is a curse to the world, and the fewer successes of this sort we have, the better.

“When will the world learn that a man is not successful though he have millions, if, in amassing them, he has trampled on the flower of sentiment in his daily life, impoverished his manhood, crushed his higher aspirations, and stifled the longings of his better and more noble self in Christ Jesus?

“It does not matter how much money or property a man acquires; if he has paid too high a price for it; if he has lowered his ideals and starved his spiritual nature in the getting, he is a failure.

“No matter what his wealth, his position, or his fame, the man whose principle is to get all that he can and to give as little as possible in return, whose sympathies and interests are hounded by self, whose whole thoughts are for self alone, is a colossal failure.”

A Balanced Life Leads to True Success

The treasures of true success are those things which God calls precious and pleasant. When he states in Psalm 133, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” He is referring to the treasure of intimate relationships that allow people to experience the security of God’s love and the significance of being His vessel to impact others for eternity.
When a man or woman balances his life in five specific roles, he will have a greater opportunity to experience true success in these vital relationships, and produce fruit that will stand the test of eternity.

Five Roles of a Noble Man or Woman

• Person – an individual of integrity
• Partner – a trustworthy team player
• Parent – a competent manager
• Provider – an inspiring leader
• Proclaimer – a reproducer of great leaders

Paul mentions these roles in this order both in Ephesians 5-6 and Colossians 3-4. He first mentions the need to put off the old man and explains the need to put on the new man in Christ Jesus. Paul then reminds us of the 20% of activitities that yield 80% of the results for each role. Let’s take a quick look at some of these noble deeds that we need to do uncommonly well in order to experience the blessings of the Lord that makes one rich in fruitfulness.

Person – An Individual of Integrity

As we focus on the role of becoming an individual of integrity, we will begin to understand the reality of the statement, “If you want to ‘do’ more, then you must first ‘be’ more.” To be an individual of integrity means our actions will line up with the will of our Heavenly Father. Jesus said, “The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” (See John 5:19) We need to have a renewed mind that has thoughts which are aligned to God’s thoughts. That is why meditation is the key to all success. (See Joshua 1:8) Our words and actions will flow out of the abundance of our heart, this is why we are to guard with all diligence what goes into our hearts. The books we read, the music we listen to, the things we put before our eyes, and the people we spend time with will determine what we will be in five, ten, twenty and fifty years.

Becoming an individual of integrity will lay the foundation for love, friendship, the joys of home and wife and children, peace of mind, happiness, and everything that ennobles life and makes it worth living.

The Common Things We Must Do Uncommonly Well
(See Colossians 3 & Ephesians 5)

• Forgive One Another – “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another”
• Meditate on Scripture – “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom”
• Check Motives – “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”

Fruit – The fruit of our lips will yield great success

Partner – Trustworthy Team Player

When a man or woman will focus on developing the character necessary to become a trustworthy team player, they will experience the effects of synergy which makes two better than one. Think about the principle of synergy described in Scripture: if one can put a thousand to flight then two will put ten thousand to flight. The fruit of the spirit will be the results of learning to yield to and depend on God’s Spirit to perform all things in and through you.

The Common Things We Must Do Uncommonly Well
(See Colossians 3 & Ephesians 5)

• Wives, Honor Your Husbands – “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.”
• Husbands, Show Love By Listening & Understanding – "_Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them_. "

Fruit – The fruit of the Spirit will multiply our efforts.

Parent – A Competent Manager

As a man develops the skills of a great team player, he is usually rewarded with the fruit of the womb: he begins to have children and learns the skills of a competent manager. He is able to develop the unique strengths of each child and train them according to the gifts and talents they have been given as God’s workmanship.

The Common Things We Must Do Uncommonly Well
(See Colossians 3 & Ephesians 6)

• Train Children – “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.”
• Overcome Anger – “Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.”

Fruit – The fruit of the womb will be mighty upon the earth.

Provider – An Inspiring Leader

When a man is a trustworthy individual, works well as a team player, and is competent as a manager, he will not stand before average people. Rather, he will stand among presidents and top leaders and be called upon to lead others in his role as a provider. He will have developed the understanding that is necessary to reign over vast resources of human potential. People want to work for those who are trustworthy, can build trust within the organization, are competent in training others, and are developing their full potential, so they can be productive within an organization that is contributing to make the world a better place.

The Common Things We Must Do Uncommonly Well
(See Colossians 4 & Ephesians 6)

• Work Hard – “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men”
• Treat People Justly – “Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.”

Fruit – The fruit of our giving will be eternal.

Proclaimer – A Reproducer of Great Leaders

As this man leads organizations, he becomes a proclaimer of God’s way of life, and begins to reproduce other leaders by his example in word, behavior, love, spirit, faith, and purity. (See 1 Timothy 4:12)

The Common Things We Must Do Uncommonly Well
(See Colossians 4 & Ephesians 6)

• Teach Men God’s Ways – “Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds”
• Use Time Wisely – “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.”
• Speak Wisely – "_Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man_. "

Fruit – The fruit of souls will bring great joy.

When a man is balanced in all five roles, he becomes a Credible Messenger who inspires others to believe in the mystery of all the world: Christ in us the Hope of Glory!

Posted by Chris Hogan on Tuesday, June 13, 2006 at 16:54 PM