Guide to Personal Growth (Part One)

(Key Text – Philippians 4:13)

Successful Person

  • Our success is not measured in status, money, power or position.  It is measured by how we use what God has given us.
  • In this regard, we must always remember our position in Christ … we are royalty and belong to the King of Kings (1Peter 2:9).
  • Here are five principles of successful living:
  1. There is a difference between Worldly Success and Godly Success.  The foundations of Worldly Success are possessions, performance, position, appearance and people.  Godly Success begins with knowing that you are already special and thereafter finding your place in God’s Plan.
  2. I am a Child of God who was created in His Image (Genesis 1:26; Genesis 139:14).  There is no “made in China” label on us.
  3. Jesus died to assure my success (Philippians 4:13; Joshua 1:8-9).
  4. God has a special plan for my life (Matthew 5:14).
  5. God wants to use you … whether you “feel” successful or not (Judges 7:10).

Fulfilled Person

  • Our role is not to live up to other people’s expectations of us.
  • We must operate by the “G Factor” (Gift Factor).  We cannot give what we do not possess … God does not expect us to give to others what he has not first given to us (Acts 3:6).
  • The important thing is not what others think, but what God thinks!

Spiritual Person

  • We must give God first place in our lives (Matthew 6:33).
  • Here are nine characteristics of a “Spiritual Person”:
  1. S – Sense of the Eternal, i.e. getting priorities in order.
  2. P – Prayer is vital.  Prayerlessness is a sin (James 4:17).
  3. I – Immersed in God’s Word, i.e. spend some time every day on Bible Study.
  4. R – Recognizes the importance of silence, i.e. Meditation.
  5. I – Invites Jesus to walk with him/her in all circumstances of their life (Philippians 4:6).
  6. T – Talks easily about God and His Goodness (Romans 1:16; Desire of Ages, page 83).
  7. U – Understand God’s Call to Service (1Samuel 3:10).
  8. A – Awareness of God’s Presence (2Kings 6:16-17).
  9. L – Loves People (Matthew 19:19; Matthew 5:44).

Focused Person

  • Activity does not lead to accomplishment until it is focused on a specific goal.
  • No one wants to run a race without a finish line.  If we are going to be winners in the Game of Life, we must have a goal (i.e. we must know where we are going and how we are going to get there).
  • We must not be like caterpillars that go around and around the rim of a flowerpot until they finally drop dead from starvation, even though there is plenty of food in the centre of the flowerpot.
  • There is one thing that is worse than being blind … it is to have sight and no vision!
  • There are six steps of accomplishing a goal:
  1. “I thought it” – Everything starts with a dream.
  2. “I caught it” – Write it down.
  3. “I bought it” – Invest in the dream (Psalm 37:4).
  4. “I sought it” – Work to make it a reality.
  5. “I got it” – Hold the dream in your hands, i.e. accomplish what you had set out to achieve.
  6. “I taught it” – Pass on what you have learned, i.e. share the secrets of your success!

Supportive Person

  • Our success in life depends largely on the people in our personal networks.  We cannot do it alone!
  • No person is an island (Romans 14:7).
  • A person’s network, i.e. circle of contacts, consists of six levels of association:
  1. Very Close Friends – This is the core of the network (intimate level).
  2. Good Friends – These are people we enjoy being with.
  3. Casual Friends – Neighbours and Church Family fit in this level.
  4. Work Associates and Extended Family – Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and Colleagues.
  5. Faraway Friends – These are people on the outer edge of the network.
  6. Acquaintances – These are people we have met, but know little about.
  • A person who wants to expand a personal network needs six specific skills:
  1. Experience Doing – Learn new skills, gain new information and be involved in community activities.
  2. Risk Linking – Seek out ways to meet new people, especially the successful ones.
  3. Show Belonging – By participating, co-operating and expressing enthusiasm.
  4. Exhibit Specializing – Use your gifts to bless someone else (seek a need and fill it).
  5. Finding a Mentor – A mentor will give counsel and guidance.
  6. Sharing What You Know – By sharing what you know, you actually expand your network (Titus 2:3-4).

Happy Person

  • With God’s help, we can choose to exchange negative emotions for positive ones.
  • Negative Emotions are the “winds” that blow us off course, e.g. problems at home, difficulties at Church, temptations at work etc.
  • Here are four Biblical Principles that help in coping with negative emotions:
  1. God understands our feelings (Hebrews 4:15).
  2. Contact with God transforms negative emotions (Isaiah 61:3).
  3. God can supply our emotional needs (Philippians 4:19).
  4. Feelings follow actions, i.e. act positively and you will feel positive.

Presented by Andile Ndlebe