HOW TO HANDLE SUCCESS

So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. — GENESIS 41:38-39

Some people’s view of a successful executive is one who can delegate all the responsibility, shift all the blame, and take all the credit. Unfortunately, that’s the plan some use to achieve “success”, but is that really success, or will that house of cards collapse with the slightest bump? Joseph’s example shows us how to achieve success and how to handle success in a way that honors God.

Notice the timing of the success that God gave Joseph. From his youth, Joseph had the idea that God had destined him for great things, but he had no idea that the fulfillment of those great things would take so long and be filled with so many setbacks.

Many years after being sold into slavery, falsely accused, imprisoned, and forgotten, Joseph had finally been promoted by Pharaoh and risen from the pit to the pinnacle. When they have been promoted the way Joseph was, many people feel they no longer need God. They think that God is only good for the prison and not for the palace. We should be like Joseph, who was devoted to God no matter what – bad times and good times. Ultimately, God was responsible for Joseph’s success, and God is responsible for our success as well!

Corrie ten Boom, who is famous for helping many Jewish families escape the Nazis during the Holocaust by hiding them in her home, was once asked if it were difficult for her to remain humble. People kept praising her for her courage and willingness to lay down her own life for the sake of others. Her reply was simple. “When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on the back of a donkey, and everyone was waving palm branches and throwing garments onto the road, and singing praises, do you think that for one moment it ever entered the head of that donkey that any of that was for him?” She continued, “If I can be the donkey on which Jesus Christ rides in his glory, I give Him all the praise and all the honor.”

Friends, as we enter into this Easter season, and our thoughts turn to Jesus’ Triumphal entry into Jerusalem, His death on the cross, and ultimately His resurrection, let’s be like the humble donkey and carry our King anywhere, giving all praise and honor to Him!

Think and Pray:
How have you handled success in your life?

God, give me a heart that will wait on You, and serve You faithfully, never forgetting You even when I am successful in the eyes of the world.

Adrian Savedra serves as Area Director for CBMC in Oklahoma. Having spent his early career as a head college baseball coach, his passion is helping others grow spiritually and apply the precepts of the bible to every area of their lives. He is active in the teaching ministry of his church and a shepherd to the many men involved with CBMC.