Question 1

What is my greatest accomplishment? How do I achieve it?

Accepted Answer

Jeremiah 9:23-24This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!”Matthew 13:44-46“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!”Philippians 3:8Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.Committing ourselves to a relationship with God and giving ourselves to his plan for us is the greatest work we can achieve in this life—and it has nothing to do with us. It is God’s accomplishment on our behalf, not an accomplishment of our own.John 1:12To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.Romans 1:17This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”Revelation 3:20“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”Accepting God’s gift of salvation, our accomplishment with the greatest eternal implications, doesn’t come from the work of our hands, but from God’s work in our hearts.

Question 2

Is it wrong to be proud of my accomplishments?

Accepted Answer

John 14:12-14“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!”John 15:16“You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.”Ephesians 2:10We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.Each of us has been created, called, and equipped by God to accomplish something here on earth. We will accomplish the most, however, when we allow God to carry out his plans through us.Matthew 6:19-21“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”1 Corinthians 3:11-15No one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.James 1:9-11Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.God’s love is not based on our accomplishments, but on his own choice to love and cherish us. However, the way we live our lives matters. God wants us to invest in heavenly treasures—godly character, loving relationships, acts of kindness, the fulfilment of the Great Commission, etc. These accomplishments have far deeper value than wealth or status, and we will enjoy their effects for all eternity.

Question 3

Can my accomplishments ever be dangerous? How?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 11:2-4As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there. They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.”Although it is good to be committed to significant accomplishments, those accomplishments should be aligned with God’s higher purposes. The builders of the Tower of Babel pursued their accomplishment solely for their own glory—and as an act of defiance against God. Our highest achievements will always glorify God above ourselves.2 Chronicles 26:14-16Uzziah provided the entire army with shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and sling . . . His fame spread far and wide, for the Lord gave him marvelous help, and he became very powerful. But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall.Uzziah’s success led to presumption and sin. The very accomplishments God allows and enables us to do can stir the pride that draws us away from him and seduces us into disobedience.2 Chronicles 32:24-25About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill. He prayed to the Lord, who healed him and gave him a miraculous sign. But Hezekiah did not respond appropriately to the kindness shown him, and he became proud. So the Lord’s anger came against him and against Judah and Jerusalem.Ezekiel 18:24If righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins.John 15:5-6“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.”Romans 11:18You must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.God used Hezekiah to accomplish great things for Judah, and he even listened to Hezekiah’s prayer to save him from sickness and extend his life. But instead of rejoicing in God’s goodness and mercy, Hezekiah became proud of his past accomplishments, neglecting to give glory to God, who had guided him through them.Amos 6:4-7How terrible for you who sprawl on ivory beds and lounge on your couches, eating the meat of tender lambs from the flock and of choice calves fattened in the stall. You sing trivial songs to the sound of the harp and fancy yourselves to be great musicians like David. You drink wine by the bowlful and perfume yourselves with fragrant lotions. You care nothing about the ruin of your nation. Therefore, you will be the first to be led away as captives. Suddenly, all your parties will end.Accomplishments cannot protect us from the consequences of selfish indulgence and injustice. We must not allow our success to insulate us from helping those God has put around us.

Question 4

How am I to view my achievements?

Accepted Answer

James 1:9-11Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.There can be joy in poverty and humility in wealth, so long as we ground our perspective in eternity. Most of our accomplishments don’t last and are soon forgotten. That’s why God’s love is not based on our accomplishments, but on his own choice to love us and cherish us.

Question 5

How can I get more done? How do I make the most of my accomplishments?

Accepted Answer

Ecclesiastes 4:9Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.Accomplishments are multiplied through a team. It is impossible for one person to play a duet or trio. You can’t play team sports without a team. It is hard to have a happy marriage if only one mate works at it. Two people can actually do more than twice as much as one, as long as they are pulling in the same direction.Exodus 4:10-12Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”2 Chronicles 14:11-12Then Asa cried out to the Lord his God, “O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O Lord, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!” So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians in the presence of Asa and the army of Judah, and the enemy fled.John 15:5“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”Romans 8:26The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.1 Corinthians 3:6-9I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.2 Corinthians 12:9-10Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.It is impossible for a branch to grow grapes if it isn’t connected to the trunk and roots. It is impossible to accomplish great things for God’s Kingdom without relying on God’s strength and guidance. It is often through our weaknesses and our recognition of our need for him that God accomplishes his greatest works.Genesis 2:2-3On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.Exodus 23:12“You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working. This gives your ox and your donkey a chance to rest. It also allows your slaves and the foreigners living among you to be refreshed.”Psalm 4:8In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.Matthew 14:10, 13So John was beheaded in the prison, . . . As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone.Mark 6:30-32The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.Luke 5:16Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.God did not make us to live in a constant state of “accomplishing.” From the beginning of creation, he set an example of resting at the end of the week—not because he needed to, but because we need to. He intentionally created us with a need for sleep in order to rest our minds, bodies, and spirits. Our time should never be “too valuable” to spend time in rest or in prayer. Jesus, whose time was more valuable than anyone’s, regularly escaped the busyness of his ministry to spend time alone in prayer. He encouraged his disciples to take time for food and rest after their own busy time of ministry. Rest is a kind of faith—a trust that God is in control, and the world will not fall apart if we leave it unsupervised for a few hours. Rest and prayer strengthen and enable us to accomplish everything God has called us to do.Luke 6:10He [Jesus] looked around at them one by one and then said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!Matthew 25:20-26, 28-29“The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’ The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’ The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’ But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! . . . ‘ Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.’”One of the most important traits of a servant is faithfulness. Whatever God chooses to entrust us with, even if it seems insignificant, provides an opportunity to live faithfully. As we grow in love, humility, and diligence, he may entrust us with greater responsibilities. Whether he gives us five talents or two, though, we can look forward to the same glorious affirmation: “Well done, good and faithful servant!”Proverbs 20:18Plans succeed through good counsel; don’t go to war without wise advice.Isaiah 25:1O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them.Planning helps us steward our time, opportunities, and resources. God planned before he accomplished, a good model for us to follow.Psalm 37:23The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.Proverbs 3:5-6Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.Proverbs 21:30-31No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the Lord. The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.James 4:13-15Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”While planning ahead is valuable, our human strategies are limited by our limited power and perspective. Following God’s perfect ways sometimes requires us to have faith as we move forward in obedience.

Question 6

How can I achieve my God-given potential?

Accepted Answer

John 15:5“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”John 5:19So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.”Matthew 21:21Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.”Stay in a healthy love relationship with God. The product of a growing relationship with God is deepened faith in who he is and what he can do. Achieving our God-given potential involves accepting what God has given us to do and relying on his power to accomplish it.

Question 7

What is the greatest thing that can be accomplished?

Accepted Answer

Romans 1:17This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”Salvation, the greatest of accomplishments, is ironically not accomplished through our own work, but through the work of God in our hearts. It is gained simply by faith, believing that Jesus Christ died for our sins so that we can live forever with God.