If you are wondering if there are bible verses about success or if there are bible verses for business success, you are in the right place!
Not only will we give you the best Bible verses about success, but we will also break down what the bible has to say about success so you can confidently live the life you feel called to.
Let’s jump right in!
Bible Verses About Success
No let’s go ahead and get into the meat of the article and look at the best bible verses about success! As you read these bible verses about success, you will see one theme running through them. You can have material success and put God first in your life at the same time.
Bible Verse About Success 1
James 4:10 – “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”
Bible Verse About Success 2
Psalms 37:4 – “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Bible Verse About Success 3
Genesis 39:2-6 – “The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. 5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. 6 So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.”
Bible Verse About Success 4
Proverbs 3:1-4 – “My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.”
Bible Verse About Success 5
Proverbs 16:3 – “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”
Bible Verse About Success 6
1 Kings 2:3 – “and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go”
Bible Verse About Success 7
Jeremiah 17:7 – “But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”
Bible Verse About Success 8
Matthew 16:26-27 – “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.”
Bible Verse About Success 9
Isaiah 41:10 – “So do not fear, for I am with you; do no be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Bible Verse About Success 10
Luke 16:10-11 – “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?”
Bible Verse About Success 11
Romans 12:2 – “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Bible Verse About Success 12
Philippians 4:13 “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
Bible Verse About Success 13
Deuteronomy 8:18 – “But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”
Bible Verse About Success 14
Jeremiah 17:7 – “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”
Bible Verse About Success 15
Genesis 1:28-29 – “28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.”
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Bible Verses For Business Success
Below are a number of our favorite scriptures on business & bible verses for business success. You may not realize it but Dave Ramsey points out that the subject discussed most in the Bible is actually money!
You will notice in these Bible verses about business success that there is one common theme that runs through them all. These verses show that it is not bad to engage in business, but it is God who allows us to do business & it is God who blesses the work of our hands.
Bible Verse About Success 16
James 4:13-16 – “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.”
Bible Verse About Success 17
Psalm 127:2 – “In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he [God] grants sleep to those he loves.”
Bible Verse About Success 18
Proverbs 23:4 – “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.”
Bible Verse About Success 19
Nehemiah 6:9 – “They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”
Bible Verse About Success 20
Mark 8:36 – “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
Bible Verse About Success 21
1 Corinthians 15:10 – “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”
What Is Success?
In this article, we are going to explore the two kinds of success. Secular Success & Biblical Success.
I will use the word secular in this article to mean: not-Christian.
Secular success (not-Christian Success) is how people who do not know God, (or who do not fully understand their faith) think about and define success. There is no clear definition of success from a secular perspective.
For Example: I read a 550-page brick of a book titled, The Law Of Success by Napoleon Hill (This is not a Christian book). The author covers every imaginable element and strategy that contributes to “success”.
Ironically enough, in all 550 pages, he never once defined what success actually is. He even admits that success isn’t definable in any absolute way when he says, “Success, no matter what may be one’s conception of that term…”.
The definition of secular success is determined by YOU. It’s just whatever you value most. People typically define secular success in these terms::
- Wealth
- Power
- Status
- Beauty
- Intelligence
- Etc.
The more of these things you have, according to a secular outlook, the more successful you are.
In the image below, you will see what non-christian or secular orientation toward success.
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You can see in the image that the steps someone takes lead to the ultimate vision they have for their life. This vision is what we think of as “success”. Your personal vision is what the world looks like in your mind once you have “arrived”.
The vision many people have of their life when they “arrive” is sipping mai tais on some remote beach. Staying at the 4 seasons and gambling big on black without a care in the world.
At the end of the day, money, fame, and power are never the end goal. We only chase these things for what they can get us.
Someone trying to achieve secular success is trying to get money, fame, and power for the type of lifestyle it will afford them before they die.
What Is Biblical Success?
So what is biblical success? Biblical success is a little different that secular success.
Biblical success can still include things like wealth, power, and status, but Biblical success can also be attained in many other ways.
Biblical success could also include living a life without much money, fame, or power and just loving the people around you.
If this is the type of life God calls someone to, then they will be successful by honoring God by doing these things.
Money, power, and fame are not the ultimate destination for someone seeking biblical success.
For someone wanting to honor God, money, power, or fame are only a means to the end of living a Godly life, and sharing that life with others.
In the image above, you will see that the ultimate vision of the Christian is to honor God. This is generally done in two ways:
1.) By loving God
2.) By loving people
These are the two greatest commandments in the Bible according to Jesus (Matthew 22:35-40).
Biblical success is defined by a commitment to God first, and everything else second. Only when we are first seeking to know God and use what he has given us to honor Him are we able to properly leverage fame, power, and money for their intended purpose.
This is why the Bible says,
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33
Biblical Success is Achieved After Death:
You will also notice in the image that death lies in a different place than in the secular success image. Biblical success is not something that is ultimately attained in this life Biblical success in business happens after we die. The reason for this is revealed in the verse below.
“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.” – Matthew 6:19-21
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Having money, fame, and power are all good things, but the Bible talks about these things as if they have very little value compared to what we will find in heaven.
The Bible teaches that our physical lives are very short and that we should store up our treasure in heaven.
But how do you really know if you are seeking biblical success or secular success?
Biblical Success Vs. Secular Success
How do you really know which type of success you are after in your own life?
Answering one question will help you to understand whether you are after Biblical Success or secular success.
Are you willing to GIVE AWAY ALL OF YOUR money, fame, and power, AND YOUR FUTURE ASPERATIONS OF “SUCCESS” if God asked you to?
If you can honestly say that you would walk away from it all to know God, then you are probably on the track to biblical success.
If you don’t think you would be willing to give it all up if God asked, then you are probably seeking success for its own sake – Secular Success.
Biblical Success Verse: The Rich Young Ruler
“Looking at him, Jesus showed love to him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But he was deeply dismayed by these words, and he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property. And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” – Mark 10:17-23
This passage of scripture does not mean that you should give away everything they have and live destitutely. It reveals that the wealth of the rich young ruler was his REAL god.
When God (Jesus) asked the rich young ruler to sacrifice his wealth to know God, he could not do it.
The Bible teaches that if we put something else in the place of God in our lives, we serve an idol (or false god). If we are willing to let go of God to get more wealth, then wealth is our real God.
This is why Matthew 16:26 says:
“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
It is completely possible to have both material wealth and a genuine relationship with God, but it takes some soul searching to really understand where you are at.
If you are enjoying this post on Biblical Success and you run a business, you might also like some of our other Christian marketing blogs
Why Do I Feel Conflicted About Business Success?
If you are feeling conflicted about business success, it may be due to one of two reasons – both of which can be resolved.
- You may feel conflicted about being successful because you believe that if you have success, (or seek material success) you won’t go to heaven (or that God won’t accept you).
Abundance is a good thing, however, with abundance comes a decreasing need to be dependent on God.
When you are struggling to make ends meet and you know you CAN’T do it in your own power, it’s very easy to lean on God because you have few other choices.
When you build material success, you no longer feel that you NEED to depend on God. At this point, dependence on God becomes a choice.
Consider this bible verse about success:
“On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” – Mark 2:17
Jesus is telling the rich, smart, and powerful religious leaders that he didn’t come to reach them. They believe that they already have everything they need and Jesus knew they would not hear his message. They believe that they are “healthy”.
Instead, it’s the poor, blind, lame, and destitute who know they are in a humble position before God and are willing to open their hearts to what he has to offer.
After talking with the rich young ruler, Jesus says this to his disciples: “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!”
God may call you to be rich, powerful, or famous, and you can go to heaven! But be aware of your own desire to walk away from God once all of your needs have been met. When you stop putting God first and put wealth in his place, you have moved from Biblical Success to Secular Success.
- You may also be feeling conflicted because you are grieving.
In the story of the rich young ruler that we discussed above, we see the rich young ruler walk away grieving. He was grieving because he made the decision to reject Jesus to keep his wealth.
If you feel you have rejected God in favor of Secular Success, you may want to read through this article completely and think back over what you will choose to be most important in your life.
As we continue in the next section, let’s look at where we see both Biblical success and material success in the Bible.
Philippians 2:12-13 – “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
The more successful we become, the more purposeful we need to be in humbling and submitting ourselves before God first and foremost.
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Is Success In The Bible?
Biblical Success In The Bible: Of course, the Bible is all about Biblical Success. The entire Bible is dedicated to teaching us how to love, honor, and glorify God.
Material Success In The Bible: Material success like wealth, fame, and power can also be found in the Bible and it is possible to love God first, and also have material success.
The Story Of Job
One notable story of success in the Bible is the story of Job. Job was a fabulously wealthy man in ancient pre-Jewish history. He owned vast tracts of land, and thousands of animals (which was the measure of wealth at the time). He also had a wife and children.
Due to the testing of the devil, Job lost everything he had. He lost his livestock, he lost his home, his family died, and even lost his health. Though Job was devastated and angry, he never once cursed God for what was allowed to take place in his life.
Even though Job was successful by secular standards, He was considered righteous in God’s eyes because He put God in the #1 position in his life and his heart.
You can read the whole book of Job over at BibleGateway.
The Story Of King David
King David is another prominent character who had great success in the bible. King David was one of the richest, most powerful, and most famous kings in the Bible. He was blessed with his material success as a result of following God first in everything he did. King David is known in the Bible as “A man after God’s own heart.”
King David was after God’s heart first and foremost, not wealth.
The Story Of King Solomon
King Solomon was the son of King David who inherited all of his father’s success in the Bible. King Solomon inherited the throne when his father died when he was 9. This immediately transferred all of King David’s wealth and power to Solomon.
God offered the child king one wish and promised to grant it – whatever it was. Instead of asking for more wealth, power, or fame, King Solomon asked for wisdom so that he would know how to lead his people in Godly ways.
Because he honored God first, God not only made him the wisest man to ever live, but he also blessed him with additional wealth, fame, and power.
“Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” – 1 Kings 3:7-14
Unfortunately, as King Solomon aged, he began to get lost in his attempts to find his meaning and worth as a person in the material success he had attained. He tries to find meaning in building grant architecture, in women, in riches, and many other things.
Toward the end of his life, he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes which says that everything “under the sun” (everything without God) is a meaningless pursuit.
His famous quote to this end is:
“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” – Ecclesiastes 1:2
That about sums it up for this post on the 30 best Bible Verses About Success & Bible Verses For Business Success.
If you liked this article on Biblical Success and you run a business, you might also like our article: 50+ Powerful Bible Verses About Business Success For 2023.
Let us know what you think about success in the comments.
Responses
I need to learn in business concept in with bible perispective.
God bless you for this article.
Thank you
Thank you so much,u have enriched me by this article. God bless you
Thank you very much for this article. It’s so enlightening and insightful. It has helped to understand more the difference between the biblical success and secular success.
We are glad to hear you enjoyed the article!
Thank you so much, for you are an eye opener. God bless you abundantly.
Thanks for your comment.
My only prayer for you is to say, thank you, and may God bless you.
Thank you so much for this truth.
May God bless you
At the end the most important thing in man’s life is know God more.
Very insightful, I learnt something new.
Be blessed.
Thank you for you comment!
Thank you abundantly, I have gained alot from you article
Hey Caleb, thanks for reading. Also, if you got a lot from the article you should check out our free subscription account where we have a bunch of free resources and video courses waiting for you!
Amazing. You explained it brilliantly with Bible verses. You changed my perspective on true success. Thanks
Thank you for you kind words. Our hope is that more Christian leaders are inspired to be entrepreneurs who make a difference in their community and in the world. Also, if you want more training, check out our Clickmill Training subscription program page if you want access to tons of courses on how to live your calling.
This is true you are the best. More grace
Thanks Michael, I would love to have you in our Free subscription plan where we go far deeper into how to run a profitable business that also serves God!
God bless you abundantly for this article. It has further broaden my mindset towards wealth creation.
As an entrepreneur I don’t have any issues running companies and making good money, but the ultimate wealth is in relationship with God and that always comes first for me.
Thank you i got the information i need to know about the biblical verse about business
Thanks so much for visiting. I’m glad to hear you got what you were looking for!
Thanks. This article is a blessing
Thanks for you comment Sam, I would love to get to know you better in our training platform where we have courses and a community to empower business minded Christians to make an impact in the kingdom. You can get a free account here.
I think it is important to understand the true internal flaw in human beings…lusting for greed and power…. Wanting to be better than the person next to them. Craving worldly success. This Ted Talk by Paul Piff (https://www.ted.com/talks/paul_piff_does_money_make_you_mean?language=en) explains the pitfall of “entitlement” as people gain more success in the world…and less and less caring for their fellow man. We need to reorient from trying to impress and control one another to being collaborative and creative and asking God how we can bring honor to His name in our work in the world. God is Love…therefore LOVE IS GOD! When we love and support and care for one another….we invite God into the world to provide His direction to us. He wants us to know we need Him. He wants us to want Him to provide us direction. As our creator, He deserves our obedience and attention to Him. That does not mean we use the Bible to beat up people who do not conform to Biblical teachings….each of us will answer for our own sins to God. God is our judge and our master…We need only attend to what God wants from each of us…and leave judgment to God.
Thanks so much for leaving such a thoughtful comment! Id love to hear what everyone else has to say!
An eye opening readings and a very good presentation of the topic of success written in the bible verses. I have an all new perspective on success now.
Thanks so much for you comment. I’m happy to hear you felt this was a blessing to you!