The Idol of Success

This morning we are going to be finishing up our examination of the five specific idols we all struggle with. I hope this has been as profitable a study for you as it has been for me. Understanding what the common idols are and how they manifest themselves in day to day living has really changed how I view life. This two year process has fundamentally changed how I live, how I minister, and how I relate to my family. As a result of this study I have seen what my main idol is (it has probably been pretty evident to everyone else) and I’ve taken steps to pull that idol down.

As a result of this study, I have modified how I parent. Several months ago, two or our children weren’t getting along with each other very well and I interrupted their conflict and asked the question, “What idols are being worshipped right now?” It was a good question to ask and it went a long way in resolving the situation biblically. So being aware of idols is an important part of our lives as followers of Christ.

I also want to say that I’ve really appreciate the positive feedback I’ve been receiving. Somebody came up to me recently and said, “I just realized I’ve been worshipping the idol of appreciation all my life.” Someone else shared with me that he was actively working on the idol of comfort because he really struggled there. Those statements are good to hear because it indicates a sensitive heart and a desire to what is right. I believe God will bless that kind of willingness to deal with idols.

This morning’s idol is the idol of success. We have studied control, respect, appreciation, and comfort; so now let’s think about the idol of success. Here’s the definition I want you to remember for this idol. The idol of success is when I view personal achievement as the pinnacle of the human experience. I have really struggled with this definition, and I’m not sure it is comprehensive enough, so here is another one. The idol of success is when I view personal achievement as [not so much as a pinnacle, or objective] a barometer by which all else is measured. I really like the concept of the barometer, and I got it from a Jewish educator with the last name of Zeplowitz. That is all I know about him. So I don’t know if I like the idea of pinnacle or barometer better. Pinnacle has the idea of goal, or objective, while barometer has the idea of a measuring device. Both concepts come into play, so hopefully you see the idea.

We know the Bible teaches that “whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might.” In other words, as followers of Christ we aren’t supposed to lackadaisical in our efforts at anything – whenever we set our hands to something, we are to do it to the best of our ability and for God’s glory. Unfortunately, we many times leave God entirely out of the picture and focus primarily on self. That is where the idol of success come into play. The idol of success is when I view personal achievement as the pinnacle of the human experience, or the barometer by which all else is viewed, and leave God completely out of the picture.

We see a good example of this in Luke 12:15-23. As we read this story of a successful farmer, note how he gives no thought to God in his endeavors and focuses instead only on his personal achievement. And then to help us see his idolatry more clearly, we are going to contrast him with another very successful person in the Bible and how that man viewed his accomplishments.

15 And He [Jesus] said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." 16 And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a certain rich man was very productive. 17 "And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?' 18 "And he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."' 20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?' 21 "So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." 22 And He said to His disciples, "For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. 23 "For life is more than food, and the body than clothing.

Several things about this story are worth mentioning. First of all, note the value he placed on his successful crop. I don’t know if we could say he viewed it as the pinnacle of his endeavors, but he was pretty pleased with what he had accomplished as we see in verse 19. “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come, take your ease – eat, drink, and be merry.” Why was he comfortable with taking a break for the next few years? Because he had a measurable amount of food. He could look out his window and see new barns that were larger than his old ones. He had empirical evidence that he was successful.

The other thing I want to call to your attention is the absence of God in his evaluation of his achievement. No mention of God being responsible for his bounty, in spite of the fact that the Bible teaches in Hebrews 6:7, “Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.” No thought of sharing his abundance with those who were less fortunate, even though the Bible teaches in Prov. 14:21 that “happy is he who is gracious to the poor.” In Prov. 19:17 we read, “He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed.” God had no part in this farmer’s plans or evaluation of his situation, and part of the idol of success is when we leave God completely out of the picture. Who played the largest part in his success? He did! How do we know? Because twelve times in three verses he uses the personal pronouns “I” or “my!”

What a contrast we see when we look at another successful man in the New Testament. Turn with me to Philippians 3 and let’s look at how Paul viewed his accomplishments.

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; 3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, [here is where I really want us to pay attention and start making the contrast with the wealthy farmer] 4 although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. [In other words, if Paul wanted to, he could measure his personal accomplishments and be viewed as a human success.] If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.7 But whatever things were gain to me [verses 5 and 6 – an impeccable pedigree], those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish [the KJV uses the word “dung” which is much more descriptive] in order that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

What was important to Paul? Or, let me ask it this way. What was Paul’s barometer for measuring accomplishment, according to verse 8?

 Your annual salary?
 The number of acres you own?
 The name of the college you have a degree from?
 Is it the number of degrees you have?
 The square footage of you home?
 The number of awards you have framed and hanging on your office wall?
 The make of the vehicle in your driveway?
 The location of your vacations?
 Whether or not you have been appointed to a prestigious professional group?

Paul’s barometer for measuring success was “knowing Christ Jesus his Lord and gaining Christ.” What was the pinnacle of Paul’s existence according to verse 10? What is it he was aspiring to? An intimate knowledge of Jesus, the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings, and conformity to His death. As Paul reflected on his accomplishments during his lifetime, he placed very little value on what he had done in the human realm or on his standard of living. What a huge contrast to the rich farmer – Paul’s focus was not on ease because of what he had accomplished, but on laboring because of what was still out there.

This contrast alerts us to the issue that is at stake every time we worship at the idol of success. To quote Jesus in Luke 12, “not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions [and we can legitimately insert the word “achievement” for “possessions”]." Achievement is not what life is all about. Or, as Jesus says in verse 22, “Life is more than food.” Remember, the parable really has nothing to do with food or crops or farming, its all about what we consider to be important in life. Life is bigger than achievement, and the rich farmer’s physical accomplishments had no effect on his soul’s safety!

Several years ago I heard a sermon by the dean of students at a Christian College. He told about a pre-med student he had a meeting with who was very serious about his studies, and his GPA reflected his intelligence and work ethic – he was a straight A student. The reason he was in conference with the dean was because for the first time in his collegiate career, he had received a B in a class, and he felt like the professor should have given him an A. After talking with the professor to no avail, he was now appealing to the dean of students. The dean asked him several very revealing questions, the first of which was, “Most students in school here would be thrilled to get a B in this class. Why is it so important for you to get an A?” Isn’t that a great question? That is the kind of question that will reveal your heart. The young man’s answer was, “I need to get into medical school, which is very expensive. Scholarships are based on GPA, and I need every bit of financial help I can find to get through med school.” That sounds like a pretty good answer to me, but the next question the dean asked was even more incisive, even more revealing. He said, “What if it is God’s will for you to get a B in the class, and not an A?” The student looked the dean of men right in the eye and said, “I refuse to accept that.”

What do you call it when a person makes the acquisition of personal desire a higher goal than the accomplishment of God’s will? Idolatry! It can be the idol of comfort, or respect, or appreciation, or control, or even success, as we see in this story. It probably isn’t God’s will for every pre-med student to graduate with a 4.0 GPA. A 3.9 is nothing to be ashamed of.

Practical examples of this idol in everyday life:

1. The father saying to his future Son-in-law: “All I expect of you is to get a good paying union job with good benefits and retirement, and I’ll be happy for my daughter to be your wife.” How is he measuring success?

2. Why does Japan have the second highest suicide rate in the world among industrialized nations? By some ways of reckoning, it is around 100,000 people per year. Why is it not uncommon for students to commit suicide when they are denied entrance to the prestigious universities? How does that particular culture in general measure success?

3. The wife who is always after her husband to leave his job as the school custodian and get a “real” job that will provide more for them? How is she measuring success?

4. The church board who asks the pastor to resign, because after five years of his leadership the church hasn’t grown numerically. How are they measuring success?

5. The student who sacrifices everything, because both of his older siblings were the valedictorians of their class. How is he measuring success?

Do you see the idol of success in each of these? Do you see how these examples view personal achievement, if not as the pinnacle of the human experience, certainly close to it? Or, do you see how achievement is being used as a barometer by which all else is measured? As followers of Christ, there is another standard we should pay more attention to. Let’s go back to each of these illustrations and let me ask you a question that will highlight where our focus should be.

 What difference does having a union job with good benefits make in eternity?

 What difference does getting into a prestigious university make in eternity?

 What difference does working as a janitor make in eternity?

 What difference does the size of a church make in eternity?

 What difference does being the valedictorian of your graduating class make in eternity?

That is the point Jesus made in Luke 12. “But God said to [the successful farmer], 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?' "So is the man who lays up treasure for himself [focuses on success], and is not rich toward God." Our barometer needs to be eternity, not some tangible, measurable standard here on earth.

Let me make a quick qualification here. I don’t want you to hear something I am not saying. I am not saying it is ungodly to have a union job. I’m not saying that getting into a prestigious university is a sinful aspiration. I’m not saying that the only holy job is to work for minimum wage as a janitor. I’m not saying that a large church is indicative of a selfish, proud, success oriented pastor. I’m not saying that working hard and having a goal of being the valedictorian is sinful. I’m saying that our focus in life is to be on things that have eternal consequences.

Listen to how Solomon expresses this very same concept in Ecclesiastes 2.
17 So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind. 18 Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity. 20 Therefore I
completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun. 21 When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.

Solomon’s point is that our focus in life should not be on the acquisition of physical, material goods. Why? There are two reasons, one stated and the other implied. The stated reason is because we can’t take them with us! We have to leave them here for people who have not worked for them and there is a good chance they will squander the fruits of our hard labor. That is the stated reason. The implied reason we shouldn’t focus on the acquisition of material goods is that they will do us absolutely no good in eternity. That is the thought behind Solomon’s use of the words vanity, or emptiness, which literally means “vapor,” or “breath.” Solomon is referring to is the worthlessness of material goods in heaven.

I want us to close by turning to Matt. 6:19-21. In this passage, Jesus says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, [why would He say something like that?] where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 "Rather, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Our barometer for success, as a follower of Christ, should be the eternal consequences of my actions. Let me challenge you to get into the habit of asking yourself this question before you make decisions: “What difference will this make in eternity?” If we asked ourselves this question on a daily basis, do you suppose it would make a difference in how we live?