"The Panic of Success"

Ecclesiastes 3:1-6

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Series: Success To Significance

Introduction: Life is seasonal. Just like the seasons of nature, the circumstances of life change. And because of this, we need to periodically shift our focus in order to achieve healthy growth. Before I was married, I spent much of my time doing what “I” wanted to do. Then once I was married, I shifted my focus to include Tami as well. And now that I have kids, my focus has again been shifted to make them the priority in my life. If I were to live my life like I did in the season when I was single, then I wouldn’t have a very healthy marriage or family.

But this is true in the area of my spiritual life as well. Prayer is important, but there are times when I need to be “more focused” in my prayer time. Likewise, there are times when I need to read and study the Bible more thoroughly. And even more, there are times when it is good to have an extended time of reflective meditation with the Lord. Each of these spiritual disciplines is important, but an extra dose can bring added focus and growth to my life at the appropriate time.

We cannot go through life doing the same things, and living the same way from year to year. As life and circumstances change, so must our focus. This shifting of our focus will help us to be successful in the way God’s desires of us. As we continue our series from the book “From Success to Significance,” we are going to learn some principles that help us to overcome the panic of trying to be successful.

I. How much is enough?

a. Success Panic- We live in a world that likes to dwell on being

successful. The problem with this is determining what kind of success you want. Many people will say that to be successful, you need to set goals. As you achieve your goals, you will be a success. In many people’s eyes, being successful means being married, having good, stable, healthy kids, having a couple of cars, a house, a good job, and good health. If you are lacking in this criteria, then you will not be seen as a success.

And yet, let’s say that you even do achieve all of this. The question still comes: How much is enough? And many in the world would answer: There never can be enough. And when we hear this answer, we get what is called “Success Panic.” Success panic is the feeling that you can never have enough, and you can never achieve all that you need. Success panic is not ever being able to be satisfied with what you have and what you have achieved. Success panic is not expected; it usually comes after you have reached a goal, and then you wonder: What is next?

Illustration- “Mount Everest.” There is a story in the Sierra Club book about two men who were determined to reach the peak of Mount Everest. In their quest to reach the peak, they spent several millions of dollars, and saw other fellow climbers lose their lives. But in time they finally reached the peak. There, at the top, they viewed the world from its highest point. They reflected on how they had overcome enormous obstacles and trials to reach their destination;, their ultimate goal. Yet, as they experienced this triumph, they didn’t feel the joy and elation they thought they might feel. The biggest reason for this, is that just a few moments after reaching the peak, they began to worry about how to get down the other side before the wind blew them off the top of the mountain.

This story reminds us that getting to the apex of our goal is more exciting and rewarding than actually arriving. This is where the “Success Panic” comes in, because you realize that reaching your goal hasn’t fulfilled you the way you thought it would, and you panic to wonder what is next in your life. At this point, you must decide whether you will: 1. Move the finish line forward, and continue doing what you are doing. 2. Look at new possibilities and new goals. 3. Wonder whether you have really been successful and question if it was worth all the effort.

b. Being called or being driven- Do you understand the difference of

being called and being driven? Being driven comes from self, being called comes from an outer force. They are polar extremes. Being driven comes from self-indulgence; being called comes from self-denial. Being driven comes from seeking to be the leader, being called comes from the willingness to follow. It is the difference between trying to make a name for yourself, or trying to do something of meaning. It is the difference between seeking worldly success, or seeking the satisfaction of knowing you are doing what God has created you to do and be.

Let me tell you 2 stories: STORY NUMBER ONE- Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for everything from boot-legged booze to prostitution to murder. Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was Capone's lawyer for a good reason; he was very good! Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Capone out of jail for a long time. To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but Eddie also got special dividends. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block. Eddie lived the high life and gave little consideration to anything around him.
Eddie did have a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his had all that he needed, including a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object. And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example.
One day, Easy Eddie decided to rectify the wrongs he had done by telling the truth about Capone, seeking to clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. So, he testified. Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended. On Eddie’s dead body they found a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine. The poem read: "The clock of life is wound but once…..And no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop, At late or early hour… Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will.

Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still.
STORY NUMBER TWO- The second story is about a World War II hero named Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific. One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship.
His flight leader told him to return to the carrier, and so he reluctantly headed back. As he was returning he saw something that stopped him cold: a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet. The American fighters were all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet. Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes attacking one surprised enemy plane after another. He fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was all spent. After this, he continued the assault by diving at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many planes as possible.
Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction. Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. He had destroyed five enemy aircraft. For that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.
A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man. SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER? Butch O'Hare was "Easy Eddie's" son.

Easy Eddie was driven to make the money and live the life he did. Butch O’ Hare felt called to be the soldier and man he was. It wasn’t just the heroics that brought Butch honor, it was living the life he felt called to live.

II. Jesus as the Mainspring- (Matthew 6:24)

a. A Strategic Plan- In times of change, it is important to have a good

strategic plan. That is why I have been so pleased with the Focused Living Program. Many who have gone through it feel like they now have a vision for their lives that is from God; especially those who have followed up the program with allowing themselves to be mentored. They are discovering “the call” that God has given them. They don’t have to feel like they need to be “driven” to do something with their lives; they can simply follow where God is leading them.

This is true for our church as well. In many ways we are at a crossroads. While we are smaller in numbers than we have been in the past, we are not without direction and purpose. We have been given a call from God to reach out into our community and make a difference in people’s lives. We have designated “5 Ministry Initiatives” to direct us. A reminder of these 5 initiatives are: 1. To reach out into our community with our music program; 2. To reach out to the Hispanics in our community; 3. To reach out into our community with “How To” classes and help others gain new skills; 4. To reach out into our community by expanding our Manor program; and 5. To reach our community with an alternative contemporary service.

This helps us to realize our mission, which is stated on the back of your bulletin:

“The mission of this church is to bring people to know Jesus Christ, to help one another grow in faith, to be committed and responsible members and empowered by the Holy Spirit, to share God’s love beyond the church.”

When we seek to have a strategic plan for our lives, we are seeking to answer questions like: What should I do? How can I be most useful? Where should I invest my time, talents, and money? What are the values that give my life purpose? And, where am I going, and how do I get there?

b. What is most important- There is a story of a strategic planning

consultant named Mike, who was hired by Coca Cola to come up with a plan to introduce the “New Coke.” The executives told Mike that the driving force of the plan was to be on the “great taste.” They had conducted a number of taste tests, and found a formula that they believed tasted better than the original Coca Cola. But after introducing the “New Coke,” they somehow failed miserably in their marketing of it. So they called Mike back for another planning session. This second time of planning revealed to them that they were fighting against the idea of an “American Tradition.” Even though the “New Coke” might taste better, it was not perceived to be better because the original would always have a special place in people’s minds. They had to find the right words to use with the American public so that they would give the “New Coke” a try.

To discover this “mainspring” in our plan we have to ask ourselves another question; the question is this: “What is most important to me?” That is a fundamental question. We come up with answers like family, work, Jesus, health. But the problem is, that for most people, while Jesus is stated in this list, Jesus isn’t really most important. Only when Jesus is most important can we really fit all the other important aspects of life into the equation! That is why Jesus said, in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

With this in mind, it is important to understand that your plan will probably not change your life drastically. You will not be asked by God to leave your family and live in a monastery. You probably won’t even be asked to leave where you live and become a missionary. But it will require of you to begin to give over your life to God, and be more faithful with what you have been given.

III. Leaning on God- (Proverbs 3:5; Ecclesiastes 3:1-6)

a. Crisis- Much of life is somewhat comfortable. Well,

you might try to argue with me that your life is difficult, but is it really that difficult? As they say, there is always someone more unfortunate than yourself. Unless you are homeless, and without food, you are doing well. We have family, we have a church, we have the freedom to learn and worship. We are doing well.

But, the reality of life, is that there are crises that come about. Often times these crises come when we find out about someone who is close to us being sick, or dying. I remember a little over 3 years ago I got a phone call about my dad. My dad had just gone to see my sister in Arizona. My dad’s health wasn’t great, but he seemed to be doing pretty well. It turns out that the trip did a number on his heart. This wasn’t completely a surprise, since I knew my dad had congestive heart failure, but it is never easy to hear this kind of bad news. My dad wasn’t feeling well, he called 911, and when the ambulance got there, they had to re-start his heart, and then put him on a temporary ventilator. Once at the hospital, he was taken to the ICU and put on a ventilator there. I got the call from my brother telling me all of this. The next day I was at the hospital. My dad was alert, but couldn’t talk. He was like this for the next 3 weeks, as my brother and I traded off going out to Hemet to see him. They couldn’t seem to get him off the ventilator. Whenever they tried, his heart became erratic, so they would put him back on. Then one morning I got the call from my brother saying that my dad’s blood pressure was 45 over 20, and they didn’t think that he was going to live much longer. So my brother went up to the hospital, had my dad taken off the ventilator, and stayed the night until he passed away the next day, at 12:45 p.m.

b. Leaning on God- This is not something that you can reason away.

This is only something that you can trust your way out of. In many ways it is incomprehensible. There is no way to understand it apart from an eternal perspective. Albert Einstein once said: “What is incomprehensible is beyond the realm of science. It is in the realm of God.”

As a minister I have walked with many people in the death of their loved one. But this was different. This was more personal. This was my father. Only 70 years old, and now no more. At this time, it was my faith that kept me strong, and helped me to keep it in perspective. It is in times like these that we need to lean on God. As Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Here on earth we are pilgrims, not in control. We are stewards, not owners. We are soldiers, without any security.

There is a Quaker prayer, that is helpful as we seek to understand the need to trust God; it goes like this: “God, you have given my life into my hands. I give it back to you. My time, my property, my life itself is Yours. All of this is only an instant compared to my life with You in eternity.”…. This prayer gives us a little perspective. If Jesus is most important to us, then we understand that we are not in control of our own lives, much less the lives of those whom we love.

But along with this, is the passage from Ecclesiastes 3:1-6, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: ² a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,… ⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, ⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, ⁶ a time to search and a time to give up…”

Conclusion: George Bernard Shaw once said: “I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It’s a sort of splendid torch which I’ve got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to the future generations.” We can be a splendid torch, burning brightly, if we so choose. We do this by letting Jesus be number one in our lives, leading us to live not out of driven-ness, but by following our calling. When we do this, we let the strategic plan of our lives be guided by Jesus, and we allow ourselves to trust in the Lord in all things. By doing this, we will have significance and meaning in our lives. Amen.