When Success Breeds Failure

Why do some people fail right after they succeed?

Why is it the rich and famous who fall into drugs, or the powerful who begin to make terrible choices?

Even King David, at the very peak of his career, fell. At a time when he should have been leading his army, he stayed home, looked down from his rooftop, and sinned with Bathsheba. Then he had her husband killed. Success didn’t protect him—it exposed him.

It was the same for Jerusalem. God blessed her, raised her up, and gave her beauty and fame. But then she forgot where it came from. God said:

“When I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, I said to you, ‘Live!’ I made you grow like a plant in the field. You grew up and became tall and became like a beautiful jewel. Your breasts formed, and your hair grew, but you were naked and without clothes.” (Ezekiel 16:6-7 NCV)

“But you trusted in your beauty. You became a prostitute, because you were so famous. You had sexual relations with anyone who passed by. You took some of your clothes and made your places of worship colorful. There you carried on your prostitution. These things should not happen; they should never occur.” (Ezekiel 16:15–16 NCV)

That image is a bit disturbing. God found her (Jerusalem) in her weakness, lifted her up, and gave her everything, yet she turned His blessings into idols. It’s not so different today. Success, comfort, and freedom can become dangerous places if we’re not careful.

Something happens to us when we face no resistance. When life is easy, there’s nothing left to push against. Instead of building, learning, or growing, we start drifting.

We get bored. And boredom often grows into temptation. When we have money, comfort, or freedom, we suddenly have the means to chase every desire. And that’s where trouble starts.

Psychologically, when we lose struggle, we often lose purpose. Our brains are wired for growth and challenge. Without it, motivation fades, and we start looking for stimulation, something to make us feel alive again.

That’s when people turn to drinking, overeating, overspending, sexual temptation, or focusing too much on how they look. We don’t even notice it happening at first. But slowly, what once was blessing becomes burden.

Proverbs says, “Give me enough food to live, but not too much. If I have too much, I might reject you and say, ‘I don’t know the Lord.’ If I am poor, I might steal and dishonor the name of my God.” (Proverbs 30:8–9 NCV)

There are so many people far more financially successful than me and Wendy. Yet we almost want for nothing. We can do just about anything we want. We don’t have jobs anymore. And honestly, it’s in these moments we could easily become bored, and start down the same path so many others have traveled.

I have two thoughts about this. First, don’t waste the moments you could have lived more vibrantly and full, just to gain more money. It may be hard to believe, but money can get boring. Second—and most important—stay close to God, His Word, Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

Use your wealth to help others who really need it. Don’t spend it all on yourself. Walk closely with God. Otherwise, you and I will end up just like Jerusalem—full of blessings but empty inside.

And if you’ve drifted, it’s never too late to start again. Draw a line in the sand, write “start,” and give it your best to finish well. When you screw up—and you will—just draw another. God’s grace doesn’t run out.

“The Lord’s love never ends; His mercies never stop. They are new every morning; Lord, Your loyalty is great.” (Lamentations 3:22–23 NCV)

Success without humility leads to downfall. Comfort without gratitude leads to distance from God. But grace allows us to come back, to begin again, to realign our hearts, and to remember who gave us everything in the first place.

Jesus asked, “What will you gain if you own the whole world but destroy yourself?” (Luke 9:25 NCV)

LORD, thank You for blessing me. Help me be a good steward of those blessings. Keep my heart humble, my mind focused, and my joy rooted in You. IJNIP amen ♥️