In this month of March, I couldn’t help but reflect on the blind march towards success. Do you relentlessly pursue the American Dream? What does your vision of success look like? What’s it costing you? More importantly, who do you want to be when you get there?
The pursuit of success, as the world defines it, fuels the insatiable appetite in many of us for more, bigger, faster and shinier. Add to this the digital world’s taunt with the pursuit of infinity. My march stopped dead in its tracks in the most unsuspecting way.
My daughter Lauren adores her Darius Rucker CD. She replays the first two tracks and that’s it. Over and over again. I recently dropped her off at school and let the CD play on. It was track #9 that gripped me and still has me.
We keep on climbin’ that imaginary mountain. When is enough enough? How high is too high? How big is too big? How far will we go just to slip off the edge?
The lyrics hit me at the core and prompted deep self-reflection – particularly given all that happened in my world last month. I lived large and enjoyed many spotlight moments, opportunities and events. The exposure spelled success for my consulting practice and left my fun tank abundantly full. The world’s definition of success came knocking and I greeted it with a door wide open. I gave it far too much of my time, energy and affection.
Nothing that a session in my prayer chair can’t fix! I sat down and asked myself, “What the L?!?” How did I let this happen again?” I’ve been here before and I know what to do. I get quiet before God and allow Him to gently remove the “L” from my WORLD until all that’s left is His WORD. I get grounded again in His Truth and how He defines success for my life. I once again let go of my kingdom building and re-focus on building His Kingdom…starting at home. Success for me must begin at home.
The world’s standard of success should come with a required warning label in neon lights: EXTREMELY SEDUCTIVE AND ADDICTIVE. CAUTION: this will cost you dearly as well as those you dearly love.
Yet I still fall for it. I’m so prone to drift. I’m so prone to wrap my self-worth around what I do rather than who I am…and whose I am. I’m so inclined to view life as an emergency while racing up some imaginary mountain.
Look to the left in the photo above – I had an epiphany in that very drive-thru one day. I raced through the transaction of treasures not fully present – my mind in pursuit of far too much. When I arrived home and pulled into the garage, I discovered the drive-thru tube still in my lap. “What the L?!?”
Nothing that God’s Word can’t recover and cover. His life-changing Truth can beautifully transform our view of success and our stuff and how we spend our time. NEWS FLASH: NONE OF IT’S OURS. WE ARE SIMPLY STEWARDS FOR A TIME.
“It all comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you.” 1 Chronicles 29: 16
“I will not let the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the Word making it unfruitful.” Mark 4:19
“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, FOR EVERYTHING IN HEAVEN AND EARTH IS YOURS. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.” 1 Chronicles 29: 11-13
