In the Bible, David is an excellent example of someone who worked what they had been given. Two keys in David's life that were critical to his success and making it to the top were his heart and his ability to focus on what God had called him to do.

In First Samuel 16, when the prophet Samuel arrived at Jesse's house to anoint one of his sons to be king, he first looked at the outer appearance of Eliab, Jesse's oldest son and thought surely he must be the one.

God corrected the prophet Samuel and said to him,

“...man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

The Bible says,

“Guard the heart for out of it flows the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

The heart is the foundation by which everything flows. The higher that God takes you the more secure your foundation must be.

David went through many tests that could have affected his heart, caused him to become bitter, or resent God. David constantly stewarded his heart to ensure God's blessing and plan would continue to operate in his life.

The next area that caused David to walk in great success was his ability to focus on what God had called him to do. The two things that David was known for were his skills as a musician and a brave warrior, and these two areas David learned to develop with great expertise. David had developed them so well that he was actually known for his high level of skill in both of these areas.

David was faithful in not only stewarding his heart but also developing a skill. One of the keys to success is finding what God has called you to do and developing that skill.

“A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of kings” (Proverbs 18:16).

What has God called you to do? What are you passionate about? What is your skill and part of the purpose of your life?

Action points:

Continue to develop a heart for God. Be sure the foundation of your life (your heart) is positioned so that you're not carrying around issues or negative attitudes.

Take action in developing the skills that God has given you. Pour into them and develop them. The more you sharpen your skills, the higher levels of success you will find.