God has pre-programmed it to be, that life is governed by Laws and Principles. These Laws and Principles make outcomes predictable. Violation of these laws would amount to the sabotage of a preferred outcome. We can desire the best outcomes all we want, if we don’t commit to the principles that govern such outcomes, we will only at best, dream but never come into the experience of that desire.

When we desire an outcome, especially one that we are certain is in accordance with God’s Will, what we need to seek God for, is light and understanding. These elements will bring to bear the hidden principles under guarding the outcomes we seek, which makes results more scalable and repeatable.

Now, success according to the systems of the world as we have come to know it, is defined by very specific metrics; such as material possessions, financial net worth, influence, social capital, positions of authority, etc. However, Success, especially the one the Word of God proffers and refers to as “Good Success”, has one primary metric by which it is measured; Wholesomeness! The Success God gives is Balanced, Wholesome and Unskewed.

“The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.” — Proverbs 10:22 NKJV

One way you discern a God-given Success is that it has no side effects on its host. Every other kind of success comes with its side effects. Side effects on Attitude, Aptitude and Altitude. Anyone can stumble on the success the world offers, whether it is by being born into a wealthy family or by getting married into one or by lobbying one’s way into a political office, or by simply asking the devil for his worldly goodies etc. But the success that comes from God, cannot be stumbled upon. If God doesn’t grant you access into it, you simply cannot experience it. This type of Success is wholesome, balanced and stable. It doesn’t capture the heart of its victims with fear, insecurity or paranoia. It is full of Grace and Peace.

This type of Success is produced by what is known in God’s economy as Wisdom! This Wisdom makes Success Predictable, Portable and Provable.

Let me give you a definition of Wisdom that could help;

Wisdom is the ability to predict outcomes based on the framework of The Word; and the courage to choose repeatedly, the route of actions that produce the preferred outcomes.

Therefore, for any Family, Business, Institution or Nation to stand the test of time and be Successful in the grand scheme of things, Wisdom must be applied in building it. God could not commence the restructuring of the Heavens and Earth without the oversight of Wisdom. Only by Wisdom is a Permanent, Stable and Useful structure such as a house, built.

“Through wisdom, a house is built, And by understanding it is established; By knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches.” — Proverbs 24:3–4 (NKJV)

If the things we are involved in are not lasting, stable or successful, perhaps it is because there is a deficiency in the Wisdom that founded such an entity. The reality of Success is governed by the Laws of Wisdom!

Going by the sheer amount of gap that exists between the desire of people to succeed and the eventual rate of success, it is quite obvious that Wisdom is the missing element in the pursuit of Success. In the verses referenced, we can infer that every structure typically begins with the Foundation which governs the formation of the eventual structure, then the Foundation is given Form and Solidity before we begin to speak of Furnishing.

Foundation, Form and Furnishing! That is the building protocol. Wisdom lays the Foundation for Success, Understanding gives Form to Success whilst Knowledge Furnishes Success.

Too many people are obsessed with furnishing a house that was never built, buying an accessory for a building that lacks foundation. Even if they succeed in getting really beautiful furnishing, those things will rapidly lose value if they’re not situated within the context of a structured house. Furnishings can always be upgraded to trendier ones, some part of the Form can be refurbished, but Foundations remain permanent. Wisdom is what guarantees the permanence of any Success that is being built. Wisdom is ageless!

This Wisdom begins with the all-important charge to Fear God! In our next devotional, we will be delving deeper into this dimension of Wisdom.

This week, I pray The Lord causes His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. You demonstrate unparalleled Wisdom in all your endeavours in Jesus name. Amen.

Have a productive week ahead.

Dami Oguntunde
@damioguntunde