The Bible Speaks to You April 3, 1965 Issue

The above is substantially the text of the program released for broadcast the week of March 26—April 1 in the radio series, "The Bible Speaks to you," heard internationally over more than 900 stations. This is one of the weekly programs prepared and produced by the Christian Science Committee on Publication, 107 Falmouth Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.]

RADIO PROGRAM No. 156 - What Does It Mean to Be Successful?

INTERVIEWER: In his book "A Testament of Faith" the late Bishop G. Bromley Oxnam says: " There is a fundamental contradiction in society. On Sunday we declare, 'He who would be the greatest among you must become the servant of all." and too often during the weekday we insist, 'Self-interest is the only sufficient motive to drive men to real achievement.'" (© 1958, by G. Bromley Oxnam. Little, Brown and Company, Boston, Mass.)

What part do you feel motives play in achieving success in life?

SPEAKER: They play an all-important part, but the question is: what kind of motives do we have? that is what do we really want to achieve in life? If self-interest is our only motive, then we are really selling ourselves short; we are not aiming high enough. We may be achieving a degree of financial accumulation or something of that sort, but we cannot actually achieve what I would refer to as real success, that is, lasting happiness—the true riches which satisfy the whole man and not simply a mortal's desire for status. The Bible gives us wonderful guides for motives in achieving success. For example, we read (Eccl. 5:10), "He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase." And Christ Jesus said (Luke 12:15). "A man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.