02 May Living in Your Sweet Spot
Dr. Albert Schweitzer accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952. He was a medical missionary who spent most of his life in central western Africa. Not only was he accomplished in the medical field, but in the fields of theology and music as well. It was said that he received the award because of the great reverence for life that he had. People knew that he chose to see life differently. He nurtured life differently, and that made him successful.
Different words from Schweitzer have really stuck with me throughout the years. One was, “I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know, the only ones among you who are truly happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”
In other words, God has put a sweet spot on the inside of each of us. And if we want to be truly happy and successful, we’ll get in touch with it. Another was, “If you want to be successful and live a satisfied life, take the areas where God has made your life rich and serve people well.” That, too, means this: live in your sweet spot. And serve others out of your sweet spot.
Of course, finding out what your gifting is, what your talents are, and what you’re passionate about is a part of it. That’s a given. But beyond those individual things, we also have to live out of the sweet spot God lays out for us in Scripture.
There are three biblical values that God promises will keep us in our sweet spot. The first is humility—valuing God’s opinion above our own and valuing the wisdom of others. Secondly, we have to live with integrity. Proverbs 11:3 says that “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.” The third value is generosity. Proverbs 11:25 says, “A generous person will prosper. Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” So God promises us that if we will bless others out of our sweet spot, living humbly, with integrity and generously, He will bless us.
Matthew 6:19-21 says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
If we start treasuring God’s work in our lives, guess what happens? Our heart becomes invested in the right things. And those things begin to succeed.
We start to live more humbly with our spouses, friends, co-workers, and family members. We start to choose integrity because we want to honor God and His guidance in our lives. And we start to live generously, with no selfishness or stinginess, because we know that a generous life is one that God prospers.
Want your life to succeed? Choose today to live life out of your sweet spot!