The Gateway to Success

A gateway is an entry point.

Not one place to gain access, but the entry point. You can try to reach a destination without going through it, but you’ll end up bumping up against a wall.

For Christians, Jesus created the gateway and then told us how to get through it to success in every area of our lives—financially, physically, spiritually, relationally and otherwise. From His Word, we know:

Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).

Prayer won’t work without faith (James 1:7-8).

Faith won’t work without love (Galatians 5:6).

Love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).

In other words, if you have a problem, love is the answer. If you’ve been stuck in the same place or believing for the same thing for what seems like forever, love is the answer. The good news is that your love walk is completely in your hands. That means YOU have the power to change your situation!

Here, we’re sharing why love is The Gateway to Success in every area of your life and how to get there.

1. Love Brings Success to Your Prayers

“And whenever you stand praying… forgive.” –Mark 11:25 (NKJV)

When you’re interacting with people each day, you likely aren’t thinking about how it will affect your prayers. But the Bible tell us it does—significantly, in fact.

Prayers prayed in faith are those that yield results. Since Galatians 5:6 tells us that faith works by love, we know faith cannot be in operation when something in our love walk is out of balance.

Perhaps you’re outwardly a very pleasant and polite person. But walking in love goes far beyond being nice. It’s what resides deep beneath the surface. It’s what comes out when something goes wrong or someone upsets you. It includes your thoughts and intentions. It’s a matter of the heart. And it’s so important because your love walk will make or break your prayer life, as Jesus told us in Mark 11:25.

Love is so important because the Bible says love is a greater power than even faith and hope (1 Corinthians 13:13). So, no matter how much faith and hope you think you have, if your love is off balance, your faith won’t work.

If you’ve been praying a prayer that doesn’t seem to be receiving an answer, it’s time to ask (and answer) the question that changes everything and moves you through the gateway to success: How is your love walk? Let’s take a look.

Love is patient—with your spouse, at the grocery store, in traffic, with your children.

Love is kind—to your neighbor, to your restaurant server, in your thoughts, in your deeds and especially in a disagreement.

Love doesn’t envy—it isn’t jealous of someone else’s life, appearance, giftings or opportunities.

Love doesn’t boast—it doesn’t focus on itself but turns attention outward toward others.

Love is not proud—it does not see itself as greater than it should. It knows where it needs to improve and is not above correction. It doesn’t worry, but instead fully trusts God.

Love is not rude—It doesn’t cut people off in traffic, and it doesn’t push to the front of the line. It doesn’t talk loudly in public or disturb others during a church service. It is not late for work, church or appointments. And it doesn’t speak harshly.

Love keeps no record of wrongs—it doesn’t remind your spouse of what they said or did five years ago or even last week. It doesn’t keep a running tally of what your mother-in-law has said or done.

If the Lord tapped you on the shoulder about one or more of these in particular—make a change! Ask God to help you, so you can walk through the gateway to success!

“Love your neighbor as yourself” fulfills every commandment. If you’ve been unkind to someone this week, you’ve stepped out of love, so get it right with that person without delay. Go to them and apologize. Repent to them and to the Lord. Clear the pathway to answered prayer!

2. Love Brings Healing to Your Body

“Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind). And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you” –Ephesians 4:31-32 (AMPC)

If healing is something you’ve been believing for, but it seems slow in coming, love is the answer.

Medical science has proven that diseases such as arthritis, cancer, ulcers, anxiety, high blood pressure and heart disease are connected to stress, fear and bitterness. Unforgiveness or harboring hurts from the past is downright dangerous—both physically and spiritually.

Unforgiveness will pull the plug on your faith so completely that you won’t have enough power to move the molehills in your life—much less the mountains. Jesus concluded one of His most powerful teachings on faith with these words, “And when you stand praying, forgive” (Mark 11:25, MEV). Jesus didn’t say when you stand praying try to forgive if you can. He simply said to forgive. Period.

Jesus did not suggest that we forgive. He made forgiveness a command. And it would be unjust for Him to command us to do something we could not do. Therefore, we know it is within our ability to obey His command to forgive—no matter what the circumstances are. Most people don’t realize it, but unforgiveness is actually a form of fear. Quite often we don’t forgive because we’re afraid of getting hurt again. We’re afraid we will never recover from the damage someone has done to our lives.

Beyond forgiving others, walking in love in every area of life will keep you healthy and strong. Anger, grumbling and criticism are bad for your health!

Proverbs 29:11 (RSV) says, “A fool gives full vent to his anger.” Angry outbursts are not only sinful and harmful to you, but they damage your relationships as well. While we all have moments when we get upset, lashing out in anger toward anyone under any circumstance is not only unacceptable and disobedient to God’s Word, it will block your healing. That’s why Brother Kenneth E. Hagin said, “If you want to walk in health, you’re going have to walk in love and keep your tongue!”

Grumbling and criticism are in the same category. Complaining is the opposite of a grateful, faith-filled heart, and criticizing others is stepping out of love. Love disciplines, corrects and holds people accountable. Love doesn’t just allow people to act however they wish or affirm behaviors that are contrary to the Word of God. But it is also not condemning or judgmental.

So, hold your tongue, guard your heart, and get healed! You can change your habits to change your life. Jesus is ready and waiting to be invited to heal the hurting and broken places in your life that cause you to be angry, criticize or complain. He wants to help you. All you have to do is ask, be willing and obedient; and you will eat the good of the land. Love is your gateway to success!

3. Love Will Bring Success to Your Finances

“The LORD will greatly bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance—only if you carefully obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe with care all these commandments.” –Deuteronomy 15:4-5 (NKJV)

This connection is difficult for some people to make. How is your love walk tied to your finances? As we’re learning, your love walk is tied to everything!

When it comes to finances, there are multiple areas where we can block our own blessing without knowing it. Worry is probably the greatest offender in a believer’s life when it comes to provision.

Worry means “divided into parts.” Worry means “to be double-minded,” and we know from James 1:6 that a double-minded man cannot expect anything from the Lord.

Love means living without fear (1 John 4:18)—fear that what you want will never come to pass, fear of being rejected, fear of being overlooked, fear of not having enough money, fear of losing your job, fear of getting sick, etc.

The Hebrew translation of the word love includes the root word for giving, which means you cannot separate love from giving! If a believer is withholding the tithe or is not generous in giving to the Kingdom or to others, love is not in full operation.

Beyond that, we block financial blessings when we mistreat others because disobedience to the Lord is a blessing blocker. It doesn’t have to be a big and noticeable offense, either.

Here are some areas where we as believers can miss it and walk out of love:

Grumbling about drivers on the road
Underpaying people who work for you
Cheating on your taxes
Tipping small at restaurants
Pointing out the faults of your neighbor’s yard or house
Giving the silent treatment to someone who upset you
Criticizing your daughter-in-law
Failing to respect your husband or wife
Neglecting to compliment or show appreciation to your employees
Failing to encourage your children
Being cranky
Talking about the failures of others
Criticizing your pastor
Angry outbursts.

It doesn’t take much to fall off the love line and right into the devil’s ditch. But when we make a conscious effort in these areas and turn our prayers and attention toward them, with God’s help, we will walk straight into the gateway to success in our finances!

4. Love Will Give You Whole-Life Success

“Love never fails.” –1 Corinthians 13:8 (NKJV)

What does whole-life success look like to you?

For many it means success in health, finances, relationships, business, ministry, promotions and dreams realized.

Brother Copeland says, “Love is fear-free and failure-free.” Since we know love never fails, if we’re experiencing failure—or a lack of success—in any area of our lives, we know love is the answer.

If you desire to be married, to receive a promotion at work, an increase in your finances, to start a ministry, to walk in divine health, to heal a broken relationship, or to bring a prodigal child home—love is the answer. Sow seeds, speak confessions and stay in the Word—those are all part of seeing a harvest—but don’t expect to see results until you dig deep, press in and make the changes you need to make to fully walk in love.

Love will push you forward toward the gateway to success. Anything that moves you out of love puts on the brakes and stalls out your progress. Don’t put on the brakes. Let love propel you to success in every area of your life!