Handling Success Successfully

Handling Success Successfully

Sir William Walton said; It's just as difficult to overcome success as it is to overcome failure.  How we handle success determines if we will continue to be successful or return to failure.  I have found in life that many do not know how to handle success successfully.  Here are a few tips on handling success.

1.  Stay Humble:

Proverbs 11:2  ² When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom. 

Proverbs 16:18 ¹⁸ Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

It is easy for us to become proud after an accomplishment or a series of accomplishments.  The Bible warns us that our pride brings shame and destruction.  Pride is easier to recognize than to define, and easier to recognize in others than in ourselves.  Pride is perhaps best defined by synonyms such as arrogance, presumption, conceit, self-satisfaction, boasting, and high-mindedness.  Pride takes the honor and glory due to God and applies it to self.

According to Webster's 1828 dictionary, humility is freedom from pride and arrogance; humbleness of mind; a modest estimate of one's own worth. In theology, humility consists in lowliness of mind; a deep sense of one's own unworthiness in the sight of God, self-abasement, penitence for sin, and submission to the divine will.  Simply put, humility is dependence on God for all we do. 



1 Peter 5:5-6   ⁵ Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. ⁶ Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
James 4:6 ⁶ But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Matthew 23:12 ¹² And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

2.  Give God the Glory:

It is the natural inclination of our flesh to take the credit for all we do that is successful, and to blame others when we fail.  It is the opposite that brings God's blessing and continued success.  When you have success in your life, give God the glory!  It is God who gives you the strength, the passion, the ideas, the support of others, and who works in ways that perhaps we do not even realize. 

1 Corinthians 10:31 ³¹ Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Psalm 86:5 ⁵ For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.   

3.  Keep Doing what Made You Successful:

After a great victory, or success we often take time to bask in the glow of victory.  Although we should take time to praise God for what He has done, it is important we return to our routine.  The routine that brought us God's blessing and success should return immediately.  Far to often, success is greeted with complacency.  It is greeted with a change in our daily duties that brought us success. Far to often success is followed by failure, and this failure is avoidable if we return to the routine that brought us success. 

If you have recently been successful in battling addiction, stay humble, give God the glory, and stay in your routine.  The same principles can be applied with the holidays approaching.  It is easy to get out of our success routine, and fail.  Stay humble, give God the glory, and keep doing what made you successful.