Jeremiah 31: 7-14; Ephesians 1: 3-6

I want to be successful. Don’t you? Everyone wants success, whether it is fame, fortune or power. Success. We Christians want to identify with God and His definition of success. But the world presses in and quite honestly, even we Christians get success mixed up. If you watch the NFL playoffs, there is only one measurement - winning the Super Bowl. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., wanted success in the civil rights of all people. Others found success by standing against him and finally removing him.

But God measures success on a different scale. Now, we’re faced with a dilemma. Do we pursue His definition? Or, do we give lip service to Him, but continue to pursue our own definition? Success. Get Your Life to Match Your Dreams. What do you dream of when you have the chance? Now, if you could have typed that dream into your personal computer - has it come out the way you put it in? Maybe you are like the young woman student who had a trick played on her.

Computer screens were back-to-back in long rows. Our young woman with the other students listened to the instructor, then began to do the work. Opposite the girl was a young man, but she couldn’t see his face. The girl had to step away from her screen for a moment. While she was out, the fellow opposite her exchanged his keyboard for hers. Now only his words showed up on her screen.

Our young woman comes back and starts typing. Immediately she gets a distressed look on her face. She called the instructor over and explained that no matter what she typed, nothing happened. The teacher tries with the same result. The fellow on the other side could hardly contain himself. He typed, "Leave me alone!" Both the instructor and young woman jump back. "What on earth?" the teacher stutters. Again the message comes, "Leave me alone!" The young woman stammered, "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hit your keys that hard." The computer wrote back, "Don’t touch me!" With that, the fellow fell out of his chair with gales of laughter. The instructor then realized what happened and was red-faced. He said it was the best C- he ever received. No sense of humor!

Those switched keyboards are like a lot of people I’ve met over the years. They plan for SUCCESS IN LIFE. But like that young woman, they type in one thing and something entirely different comes up. They type in, "good family life." Instead they get bickering and strife. They type in "job satisfaction." Instead they get stuck in a job that has only boring routine. It drains the life out of them. They cannot leave because of the benefits and because of bills due. But it was not the life they were expecting. They type in "good health," but the doctor reports a spot on the lung. Their stomach ties up in knots. Know any people like that?

People want to be successful in life! Most people want a life to match their dreams. But what happens when their lives do not match their dreams? Has this happened to you? What do you do? With this new year unfolding, it is good to ask ourselves the same question. What do we do when our lives do not match our dreams? The events from September 11, 2001, remind us that we can type in any definition we want, but if we are not careful, we will miss the best God has for us. Shoe bombs, major companies leaving employees wiped out, call us to do some serious soul searching. We may have dreamed one thing, but we are living something else. Some Christian people act as though God owes them their definition of success. That attitude can draw us off track...or draw us closer to the living God. The people of God with Jeremiah teach us about that attitude.

They knew God chose them. But they became arrogant about it. They turned from God. Even if they typed in a message to God and the world, "The Chosen People of God," their lives did not match their dreams. They hoarded the blessings of God. They did not herald His blessings to others. But God did not give up. Jeremiah spoke for God. One day your lives will match the definition of success God has for you. ..My people shall be satisfied with My goodness. (31.8ff)

There is God’s definition of success. My people shall be satisfied with My goodness! So, we ask what His goodness is. Paul helps the church at Ephesus...and the church at Russellville to see success from God’s point of view. It was as though God Himself had the keyboards of our lives. He wanted to be sure that our lives matched His dreams for us. To get a grip on success in life, Paul showed us only two ingredients are necessary:

IDENTITY and PURPOSE. Listen again. ..the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,.. chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. (3,4) He chose us. There is our identity. We should be holy and blameless before Him. There is our purpose! The Living Bible hits the mark: We belong to Christ...He decided to make us holy in His eyes, without a single fault ...covered with His love.

Every human being who ever lived has longed for identity and purpose. Our identity determines our attitudes and our actions. Almost all convicted sexual offenders were themselves victims of sexual abuse. Identity gave attitude. Attitude led to actions that were destructive. Studies tell us that we invariably, inevitably, move toward the strongest impression in our mind. A highway patrol officer stops a driver who is speeding. Now, should the officer turn off his flashing lights? Research says he is seven times more likely to have his car and himself hit by passing motorists. Blue lights - like a magnet!

We move toward the strongest impression in our mind. That is why so many people fail. They think, Success, but underneath something tells them that they are not worthy of any success. They have the intellect, education, credentials and even the opportunities, but are still drawn to fail. Nancy Ormsby lived this out. In high school she was a straight-A student. She set three world records in track while still in high school. Her town set aside one day in her honor. Heading for medical school, she seemed to have the world by the tail. In 1986, at the NCAA Track and Field championships, she suddenly left the pack of runners, ran out of the stadium and jumped from a 40-foot bridge.

Though not killed, she was paralyzed for life. Months later, when she agreed to talk, her friends and family were stunned. "I saw that I was falling behind the rest of the runners. I was afraid of losing. I thought I was failing God, my coach, my parents. There must be something wrong with me." Though she was deeply religious, she somehow missed the Gospel in her life. We belong to Christ...He decided to make us holy in His eyes, without a single fault ...covered with His love.

I find it fascinating that ordinary, common possessions can become extremely valuable, even priceless, if they have been owned by someone powerful, wealthy, or famous. Napolean’s toothbrush sold for $21,000. Hitler’s car sold for $150,000. Jackie Kennedy Onassis’s fake pearls - $211,500, and Jack Kennedy’s wood golf clubs - $772,500. The items in themselves are not worthy, but only because someone significant owned them.

"Are you ready for a surprise? We fit that bill, too. Think of the value of something owned by God. What incredible worth that bestows on us. What great dignity. We belong to Him!" (Swindoll) What identity we have! We belong to Christ! Be captured by the value He places in you and me.

We belong to Christ! God sees us through His Son Jesus Christ. He said, "I choose you, and you! You belong to Me! Now I’ll create the world!" He gives us our identity. No doubt about it! He knows His sons and daughters. He knew you and chose you before the foundation of the world!

He also gives us our purpose in life. It is not complicated - we are to be holy! The ones who mess up this picture are those of us who think we have to do the job. He sees us WITHOUT FLAW! He sees us AS IF WE WERE PERFECT! No, we are not perfect. But in His eyes, we are PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE TO GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST with all our warts, bad breath or bad fitting clothes. We don’t have to win Mrs. America, the Super Bowl, or even the salesman of the month. He loves us just as we are!

Paul reminds us that Christ gives us our purpose as well as our identity. He decided to make us holy in His eyes, without a single fault ...covered with His love.

Be gripped by that! We do not have to become holy. Our purpose simply is to cooperate with Him. He does the making and shaping. We do the living out of His purpose!

I read the results of a study by Psychologist William Marsden, and I was saddened. He did his own research on people with the question, "What do you have to live for?" Of the 3000 people he asked, over 2,800, (94%), said, "I have no definite purpose in life!" Tragic. No wonder we medicate ourselves so well.

Friends, the year is still young. Begin to look at your life the way our Lord looks at you - and at me. We belong to Him. He will do things in our lives that have purpose - to make us holy! IF WE BELONG TO JESUS CHRIST, WE HAVE PURPOSE IN LIFE!

The purpose? To be His people each day. How should we start the day? Try this very simple prayer: Father, I will live today to do Your will! Now, get on with the day. Love those in front of you. Accept the disagreeable people as reminders to work on your own attitude. Forgive others and yourself. Satisfied with the goodness of God! Success!

We have identity - we belong to Christ. We have purpose - to be holy before God...to live lives filled with love for Him who accepts us. Then, our lives will match our dreams.