You Are Not Self-Successful

Ezekiel 27:26

Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters: the east wind hath broken thee in the midst of the seas.

When God talked about Tyre and what it had become, He used a ship as an illustration. Back in the days of Ezekiel, the ships were often propelled by rowers in the bottom of the ship. These rowers were not the captain of the ship that everyone looked to, but that captain could not get into the deep and great waters without those rowers. That captain and his ship became great because of the unseen rowers who brought his ship into great waters.

It is important for every person to remember that they did not get to where they are without someone helping them get there. No person is self-successful; they are successful because of an unseen team of people who helped them get to the level of success they have achieved. Certainly, we would like to lift up the successful person, but behind that person are many people who helped them get to where they are. It is incumbent upon that person that they remember the people who invested in them when they were a nobody. The ship that God talked about was just another boat in the harbor without those rowers, and the successful person is like every other person without those who invested in their life.

Behind your life is a team of people who helped you get to where you are in life. You are not self-successful, but you are a combination of the efforts of people who helped train you, invest in you, and push you to become the person you are. Yes, you had to take the initiative to take what has been given to you to get to where you are, but you would be nothing without the team of people who invested in you. There are a few observations we can take from this truth that can help all of us to be appreciative of those who invested in us.

First, it is the decent thing to remember and thank those who have invested in our lives. The plethora of people in your life who invested in you deserve to hear a “thank you” for what they instilled in you. A week never goes by that I don't remember someone who is in Heaven that invested in my life. I often ask God to thank those people for me, as I cannot talk to them because they are in Heaven. I also make it a habit to regularly thank those who are still alive. Many people go through life without any gratitude for the energies they invested in others. Whether it be a parent, pastor, school teacher, assistant pastor, or some other person, you ought to write a note, send a text, or even call that person to thank them for their investment in your life.

Second, those invested in you don't have to be perfect people for you to be grateful for their investment. In fact, many of those who invested in you may have marred their lives, but they still invested in your life. Don't let the humanity of the one who invested in you cause you to be ungrateful for their investment. Unfortunately, there are some in my life who are no longer in the ministry, but they invested in me, and I owe them a great debt. You must never let the humanity of those who invested in you cause you to be ungrateful for their investment.

Third, don't waste the investment of others in your life, for their investment is their life’s work. Make the most out of your life, and you will make the most out of the lives of those who invested in you. It is critical that we do our best with another’s investment because every investment should reap great rewards.