I am amazed by the number of books that are being printed every year on how to become successful in life and the number of speakers, experts and trainers on the same. I recently saw on our local newspaper an ad for a renowned motivational speaker seminar that really surprised me. The real surprise was not the speaker himself but the cost for attending a 3 hour afternoon seminar. It was priced at about 1000 USD or Kshs 75,000. In my surprise, I begun imagining the people who can afford that kind of a price tag to hear a motivational speaker and who would be in attendance. You see, our generation is obsessed with becoming successful and it's a good thing but I strongly feel we are looking for success in the wrong places. Many of us are living each day frustrated because we are making more money than our fathers but it’s all being eaten up by inflation. The cost of living is up, hardships are pressing in from every side, the rate of unemployment is increasing and life seems to be getting harder and harder. The family unit is breaking and we cannot count on family to help us when the going gets tough. With such a state of affairs in our generation and even worse as I have just gleaned the surface, the desperation to succeed in life, at work, in business and all is very high. Question is, do we succeed by earning more money? learning to play the stock market like a ball? driving the latest car? or looking at it differently, do we succeed by following seven keys to making more money? five steps for a happier you? ten principles of winning? In Genesis 39, I read the story of a slave in a foreign land where he had to learn a new culture, new way of life and his parents were faraway. Forsaken by his brothers, this slave was a gone case, a failure at best. The odds for success were against him but he had one ingredient that turned the tide for him whether working as a slave or thrown in jail as a "slave prisoner". Verse 2 of Genesis 39 tells us, "The LORD was with Joseph,..." and because the Lord was with Joseph, he succeeded as a slave in the house of his Egyptian master and excelled there. There were no ten steps to success for Joseph or five principles of winning. Only one thing made the difference for him and it was not hearing Egypt's sensational speaker. The Lord was with Joseph and that made all the difference. The key for success in life is the Lord being with you. It is the only key that is needed. If only we would take the time to seek the Lord and ensure He is with us as we go through life. If only we would take the time to walk in accordance to God's will and seek to please Him each day. If only we would consider more what His word says and seek to live according to it more. When the Lord is with us, we can face any mountain and conquer, we can fight the challenges that come our way and win, we can survive the hardships of life and go through storms and come through victorious. Let's seek the Lord and live daily ensuring He is with us for when we do, that is the beginning of success, true success. Blessings

Edward M. Munene

Pastor

International Christian Centre Mombasa

P.O.Box 40794, 80100 GPO, Mombasa, Kenya

Tel: 254-20-2077311, 254-721-717104, 254-734-511793

www.icc-mombasa.org