Do you want to be a miserable failure? Of course not! No one wants to fail, but many have not attained the level of success that they desire. Why not? Because being successful involves following a certain set of principles that many have neglected. In the following paragraphs I have outlined seven principles that were originally defined by the founder of the Worldwide Church of God, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong. If applied, these principles can lead you on the pathway to success.

1. Set the right goals

Before you can even begin to work toward being successful, you must set the right goal. Setting the right goal gives you direction and purpose.

Imagine that you decide to take a trip. Would it make sense to jump in your car and drive, ignoring road signs or directions? It is possible that you might discover an interesting place, but you also might drive around in circles. Would it not be much better to examine a map and consider all of your options and then develop a plan?

To reach physical and spiritual success, you must begin with the right goals. As Christians, our main goal should be to seek first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). After all, our main duty is to fear God and obey His laws (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

2. Education and preparation

In order to be successful, you must make needed preparations and acquire the necessary education that is required to reach your goal. For example, one of my goals is to become an elementary school teacher. Not only does this involve being knowledgeable about the material I will be teaching, but it also requires that I understand how to work with and motivate children.

Another aspect of becoming educated is to find the best sources to gather information. As we strive to become better Christians, our best source in acquiring knowledge is the Bible. Second Timothy 2:15 implies that we are to study to be approved by God. We also find several proverbs that urge us to gain wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 1:5; 9:9; 16:21-23). Wisdom can be gained by requesting counsel from those who are qualified to give advice (Proverbs 15:22).

3. Maintain health

This principle of achieving and preserving good health—physically, mentally and emotionally—is one that can easily be neglected, but it is vital. Can you be truly successful if you are continually ill? Reaching your goals will become difficult if you feel sick or tired much of the time.

Or you may reach a particular goal that you have sought, but if you are in poor health, you will not benefit as much from reaching that goal. There are those who are financially well-off but their lives are very stressful and they have severe health problems. They have indeed been successful in many ways, but unfortunately poor health is preventing them from fully enjoying it.

To reach physical and spiritual success, you must begin with the right goals.

Glorifying God in our bodies includes maintaining our health (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Achieving good health requires eating properly and getting the right amount of exercise and sleep that your body needs. Since our main goal should be to enter into God’s Kingdom, then this principle would also include maintaining our spiritual health. We can accomplish this through prayer, Bible study, meditation and occasional fasting.

4. Drive

As with your car, drive is what propels you forward so that you can achieve your goals. It is essential to have zeal and determination if you are to be successful. While pursuing your goals, it is easy to become lethargic and lose energy when you are tired or things seem to be going wrong. But we are admonished to remain diligent and work with all of our might (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

5. Endurance

To be successful at reaching your goals, you should never give up. Most of us have felt like quitting at one time or another, and unless you are steadfast, it is easy to succumb to the temptation to simply give up. But in order to experience success, you must learn to endure trials and difficulties in order to persevere.

Those who run marathon races provide a great example of endurance. Despite pain and fatigue, they push forward and, in many cases, finish what they have started. Our Christian life is compared to running a race (1 Corinthians 9:24; Hebrews 12:1). To successfully enter into God’s Kingdom, we must endure until the end (Matthew 24:13). Despite the trials and setbacks in our struggle against Satan and our human nature, we should always remember that God will always be there to see us through (Hebrews 13:5).

6. Resourcefulness

While pursuing your goals, you are sure to face obstacles. Resourcefulness, which includes imagination, creativity and inventiveness, is the principle that helps us cope with emergencies and unexpected setbacks. Successful people have usually “failed” many times, but they keep trying, using new approaches. Though they are fictional characters, superheroes are often good examples of characters that use resourcefulness. No matter what crises they face, they always manage to find a solution to their dilemmas, such as a plan of escape.

In our lives not everything is going to go as planned, and it is wise to have a “plan B” to work around unexpected obstacles. In our Christian lives we can use resourcefulness to confront the temptations of this life. Christ admonishes us to be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16).

7. Reliance on God

It is easy to become lethargic and lose energy when you are tired or things seem to be going wrong.
The last principle is the most important one of all. This seventh principle is to acknowledge God and Jesus Christ in our daily lives and to include Them in all our endeavors (Proverbs 3:6). This means praying for guidance and help in everything and trusting that God will answer in the ways that are best. We are to put God first in our lives and to love Him with all our heart, soul and might (Deuteronomy 6:5). You need to have God in the picture if you are to be truly successful. Remember that the most important goal is to be in God’s Kingdom—God’s family—and that certainly requires God’s constant guidance and help.

These seven principles show the way to true success. By following these principles, there is no need to be a miserable failure. Instead, you can be successful in this life and, more importantly, reach your awesome potential in the next life!