Although January is the 1st month of the year, technically, any month can be your "January" or starting point. What is the foundation for success? What does success mean for an individual striving to be successful? Is success "leisure, entertainment, and spending power" (Berard et al., 2011)? When defining success, does the outcome align with the Word of God?
"Today, identity is no longer a given; it's been classified as a developmental achievement" and starting at an early age, youth are pressured towards "choosing and constructing an identity" (Berard et al., 2011).
To our dismay, "for many youths today there is no expectation or challenge to explore their abilities, let alone use them to shape a better world or a belief to which God calls them (Berard et al., 2011). Take time to self-assess where you are as an individual and whether or not you are personally pressured to do and be things by worldly desires. Are you driven by artificial standards that seem to be more fantasy than reality?
"Consumption is linked to how our twenty-first-century society is uniquely structured, and this structuring both pressures us and empowers us to act in ways no other civilization has ever acted" (Berard et al., 2011). What does an individual need vs what does an individual want? What does an individual desire to achieve for clout or political influence versus what does an individual desire to achieve for God or good? Individuals striving for success will need to think for themselves without placing the influence of consumption or materialism at the forefront of the mind.
What if I told you in Denver "it is the cultural climate of neighborhoods that has the strongest overall influence on success outcomes" (Elliot et al., 2006)? The highest correlation to the cultural climate of neighborhoods is parenting practices. Youth are unable to force their parents to change, however, the youth possess the power to make positive adjustments that avoid long-term consequences. If the purpose is to change, youths at times must be willing to be their own x-factor.
Can we liken individuals that are consumed by materialistic values to Matthew 5:13-16 to salt that has "lost his savour" (KJV)?
Matthew 5:13-16 (KJV):
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Reflect On The Following Questions Over January:
Define success for you?
What is your purpose?
What is your foundation?
Is your idea of success acceptable to God?