Carl Erskine — Dangers of
Success
Therefore let any one who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12
Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23:10-12
Success can be intoxicating.
A boy nobody ever noticed before goes out for the high school baseball team and begins to hit home runs. Suddenly he is the "star" of the school. He is admired by the younger boys and treated with new respect by the boys who are older. Adults who used to look through him now nod and smile when they meet him on the street.
He looks in the mirror in amazement. He had always taken himself to be a rather ordinary person. But apparently he has been dead wrong. He is a very special guy. His walk becomes a strut. Condescension replaces courtesy in his manner. He begins to act as though the world owes him something.
I have seen this repeated in professional baseball. A rookie gets off to a tremendous start. The sports
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writers fill columns about his accomplishments. He is asked to speak before important business and professional groups.
Before long, his hat is much too small for his head.
It's easy to see how this can happen. In pro baseball it's possible for a talented boy to reach the top as a major leaguer in a season or two. It's enough to make anybody's head spin. A boy looks around and realizes that he is one of a small elite — 450 baseball players to be exact — who are playing major-league ball.
He finds it a daily experience to rub elbows with other men who have reached the top in their professions — doctors, lawyers, teachers, and the others. But there's a difference. Most professional people spend a long time, including years of education, before real recognition. The baseball player can make it almost "overnight."
There's another difference too. He can be back in obscurity by this time next season if his batting average slips too far or an injury destroys his effectiveness. When this happens, the "overnight sensation" is often left with a bitter taste in his mouth and a sense of emptiness.
The only safeguard is an early realization that all natural ability is God-given, and therefore ought to be God-directed. ". . . let any one who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall."
This realization can keep you steady at another time too — when you experience success. I've walked off the field after winning a big one, feeling pretty pleased about the applause and the congratulations. But when I've looked at the fellow in the locker-room mirror, I've been forced to say, "You little punk from Anderson, Indiana! You know you didn't do that!"
Deep in my heart, I know God has been responsible every time.
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The measure of success I've had has made me feel humble. It has driven me to prayer. It's part of the reason I attend church regularly with my family.
Success is more than a gift. It is a sacred trust and a responsibility. If other people are looking at you because of your achievements, you must be careful. Your conduct will convince them either that you feel you deserve their admiration or that you realize your complete dependence upon God. I don't want anybody to find me basking in the glow of a compliment I know I really didn't earn.
What is "success" anyhow? Is it a high batting average, a fat bank account, a famous name? I don't think it is any of these things. A Christian is a "success" when he sees a purpose other than his own at work in his life and lines up with that other purpose.
A good friend of mine, Dr. Sam Shoemaker, tells of a woman he knows whose hip was broken when she was hit by a balloon tire that flew off a passing truck. He went to visit her in the hospital and found her in traction and in great pain. But she smiled at him and said, "I wonder what God has for me to do here!"
Dr. Shoemaker goes on to tell of the conversion of a nurse who read this woman's Bible to her each day and eventually caught her faith. In my estimation, this woman was a "success." I suspect that she would have been just as humble and true at the very pinnacle of what this world calls "fame."
Each of us can achieve this kind of "success" regardless of our vocation or position in life.
How about starting today?
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Prayer
Heavenly Father, comfort us in times of defeat and discouragement. But keep us humble and prayerful when we enjoy what people consider "success." Lead us on to the real success that lies in following Your will wherever it may take us. I ask it in Jesus name. Amen.
Carl Erskine was an All-Star and World Series pitching ace with the Brooklyn & Los Angeles Dodgers, pitched two no-hit no-run games; held World Series strike-out record of 14 against Yankees. Insurance business in Anderson, Indiana. Advisory Council, Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
