What are the bible proverbs about success? Find out in this article with commentary on each verse.
Introduction
Success in a believer’s life means having a successful relationship with God. It is being victorious over trials and staying faithful to God. Being successful is a different picture in the Bible than it is in the secular world. Whilst the secular world defines success through wealth and fame, the Bible defines success with an emphasis on the spiritual well-being of a man. Although there is material success in the Bible, that success complements spiritual success. For example, Solomon’s wealth only came after he was gifted with wisdom (spiritual success). Physical success always comes after spiritual success in the Bible.
10 Bible proverbs about success
Proverbs 2:7
He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
If a man is upright, there is a surety that he will be successful in his life. God himself has a store full of success for those who believe in Him. To be successful in life, get the blessing of God. All you have to do is to be righteous and God will grant you success. Sounds simple. Then the entire world would be successful like Abraham, spiritually and physically. But no, the sin of the world stops people from having success in the Lord.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Giving God all your heart and trusting Him only is the way to success because He guides those who acknowledge Him. Acknowledging God is humbling oneself before God. Abraham acknowledged God, and he was blessed, became the father of faith and a friend of God. Success begins when a man totally surrenders to God. When a man lets God direct his paths, he will be directed on the right successful path.
Proverbs 10:4
He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
This is the best proverb that contrasts laziness and persistence. Lazy hands are a metaphor for a lazy person. A lazy person will reap poverty, but a person who puts effort into his work will get rewarded with wealth hence, success comes from hard work.
Proverbs 10:22
The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
With so many evil men getting rich in the world, it is refreshing to know that success is influenced by God for the godly. And when God blesses a person, there is no hard labor or toil needed.
Proverbs 12:24
The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.
Through hard work, a man can get rich or get ahead of everyone by becoming a boss/leader. The hard-working people will rule over those who are lazy. The success that this verse speaks of is wealth. It is not a spiritual success, and neither is it success from God. It is a man’s hard work that elevates him.
Proverbs 15:22
Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellers they are established.
The book of Proverbs constantly speaks about seeking knowledge, wisdom, and good advice. Those who seek will find. Advisors give knowledge and provide counsel. Advisors are mentors. They will help and coach you so that you can fast track, avoiding the pits that they fell into. It is wise to have advisers.
Proverbs 16:3
Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.
God is the one who causes your plans to succeed. However, the plans should be in line with His will. You cannot expect God to establish and bless wicked plans. So, the Christian who wants to seek God’s will and then make his plans according to God’s will, that one will succeed. What God wants from His children is commitment. Committing one’s actions to God is showing God that you want to follow Him and obey his commandments.
Proverbs 21:5
The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.
Relaxing and waiting on God to bless you is the worst that you can do for yourself. Yes, God will help you succeed, but a good business plan and some good old hard work will set you on a path to success. Success is not to be rushed. It takes a while to build wealth. An overnight success that is promised by pyramid schemes is a shortcut that leads to poverty. You will lose your money to unscrupulous people.
Proverbs 21:30
There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.
Can a man make plans and succeed against God? No. God is the only one who is successful. He is the giver of success. He gives it to whom He wants to. God is sovereign. He does not answer to anyone. He is the supreme God. All the men’s wisdom in the world, dead, alive and to be born, has never and will not amount to the wisdom of God. No man cannot even create a grain of sand. No wisdom can match God’s wisdom.
Proverbs 22:29
Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.
It takes a lot of practice, patience and hard work for a man to become skilled in a certain craft. Perfect your skills and you will go far. Not only will perfecting a skill make you a master of your craft, but it also opens limitless opportunities for you, even meeting kings or presidents.
Conclusion
Hard work is the way to succeed. However, hard work plus the fear of God equals double success.
