Success, Pride and being Lukewarm
A string of success can often blind us. It breeds pride which leads to arrogance and makes us complacent. We see it often in sports when teams on a winning streak suddenly fizzle out in front of minnows.
In 2nd Chronicles 25 we meet Amaziah, the King of Judah. He seems to be a mixed character, the Bible says that he did what was right in the sight of the Lord “but not wholeheartedly”. We can say that he was lukewarm, now that’s a dangerous condition and we will soon see why.
Lukewarm Trust
Amaziah is about to go to battle with the Edomites. He prepares by conscripting three hundred thousand young men of Judah, additionally he hires one hundred thousand mercenaries from Israel by paying hundred talents of silver. Very clearly he is not satisfied with his own army.
God responds through a man of God who tells the King to send the mercenaries back. God wants Amaziah to trust Him in this battle and not depend upon hired mercenaries.
When crisis hits we try to take whatever way to get out of the crisis. We do not wait to discern whether this is God’s way or not, only to regret later.
During such times we are vulnerable and prone to compromise just as Amaziah does here by hiring Israelites who had by now largely given up on their faith in God. Often the ways we choose during crisis time can be displeasing to God.
Let us stop to reflect on our choices, may they always reflect the Glorious Lord we worship. May the Lord give us the courage to take the right choice.
Avoidable loss
Now Amaziah recognises his folly but is worried about the loss of hundred silver talents which he already paid.
He could have easily avoided this loss if his trust was upon the Lord. Often we come to the Lord only during the crisis hours by then the damage is already done.
May we remain in constant fellowship with the Lord. May our relationship be intimate and may it not oscilate here and there. May we seek Him in our everything.
The pride of success
Amaziah is victorious as the Lord leads him to victory but this success gets to Amaziah. He forgets God and starts to worship gods of Edom.
How strange is this — that he leaves the God who grants him victory and bows down to gods whose people he just defeated.
Sin has its strange ways that is why lukewarm faith is dangerous it can easily lose its bearings. Amaziah was never wholehearted in his faith and thus he easily swayed from God to the gods of Edom.
When the prophet is sent by God to warn Amaziah, he responds arrogantly and full of pride. The prophet does not say much more, but does inform Amaziah that this is a sign of his coming destruction. We see that happen soon in the very same chapter.
Good tidings have a strange way of making us forget the reality. We fail to realise that we achieved nothing other than what God gave us.
We fail to realise that we are nothing but clumps of flesh and bone without the breath of life that God gives us. Instead we start acting as the “know it all” and “done it all”.
Success can be a blessing, it is not to be enjoyed alone rather it can be shared with others as well. Yet so often success becomes a curse. If only we knew how God wants us to handle success or his purpose behind our success.
May our success never turn our hearts away from God. May the Lord help us to have the true understanding of success. May we submit to the Lord and let Him deal with our pride before it starts dealing with our faith. Amen
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