The Spiritual Test of Success

DAZI When businessman Stanley Tam started a small

plastics company in Ohio, he never imagined it would grow

into a thriving national business. Like many

entrepreneurs, he poured long hours and hard work into

building the company from the ground up. Over time, the

business began to prosper. Sales grew, the company expanded, and

the success he had hoped for was finally becoming a reality.

people quietly face: Was this success something he had

achieved through his own effort and Or was it something God had

entrusted to him? The question eventually led him to make a

decision that stunned many people around him.

Welcome to Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. I'm Bart Leger and

today we're talking about something most of us pray for,

but we rarely prepare for: success. And our question is:

How do we enjoy abundance when it comes without forgetting God?

Oh, we pray desperately when we're in trouble or broke or

sick or are facing a crisis, don't we? But what happens when

the promotion comes, the bank account is full, and life's

comfortable?

Often, the greatest test of our faith isn't how we respond to

adversity. What's in our heart comes to the surface when we're

enjoying abundance.

Staying true to God on the mountaintop requires intentional

humility in the bad times as well as the good.

Listen to what God says in Deuteronomy 8: 17-18.

He did all this so you would never say to yourself: "I have

achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy. He is the

one who gives you the power to be successful."

God spoke those words to the Israelites right before they

were about to enter the Promised Land.

For forty years, they had wandered in the wilderness

completely depending on God for every meal, for every drink of

water, and for everybody. for every step forward, they knew

they needed Him because they had nothing else. But God knew

something about human nature. He knew that once they entered a

land flowing with milk and honey, and once the harvest came in,

the houses were built, and the flocks multiplied, they would be

tempted to forget where it all came from. They would look at

their own barns and think: "I did this. It was my hard work,

my intelligence, my strength." And that is exactly the danger

of success.

that it subtly convinces us we don't need God anymore. When

everything is going well, we stop praying desperately. We

stop leaning on Him as heavily, and we begin to believe the

dangerous lie that we are the architects of our own blessing.

Think about your own life for a moment. When was the last time

you prayed the most fervently? We're going to believe the most

fervently. We're going to believe the most fervently.

We're going to believe the most fervently. We're going to

believe the most fervently. But what happens when we get that

promotion? How about when the bank account is flush? When

life's hitting on all cylinders, we often coast spiritually.

That's the test of success. And it's a test many believers fail

without even realizing it. Deuteronomy 8 says, "Remember

the Lord your God." We're to remember that He's the one who

gave you the strength to work. He's the one who opened the door.

He's the one who gave you the mind and the health and the

opportunities and the relationships that led you to

where you are. Success isn't self-made. It's God-given. And

there's nothing wrong with success. It's how we handle that

success that matters. Stanley Tam went through that test.

After much prayer and reflection, he made an unusual choice. In

1955, he legally transferred ownership of his successful

plastics company to a foundation dedicated to Christian ministry.

From that point forward, he saw himself not as the owner of the

business, but as a steward managing something that

ultimately belonged to God. Tam later explained that success can

quietly tempt people to believe they achieved everything on

their own. And by giving the company away, he wanted to

remind himself of a truth many successful people forget. That

every opportunity and ability and every blessing ultimately

comes from God. You don't have to give away your business to

pass the test of success if you have one.

The antidote is intentional humility. Regularly

acknowledging that everything you have is a gift from God's

From God's hand. Here's today's challenge. Take a few minutes

today and make a list of three areas where life is going well

right now. Take a few minutes later. You're looking for

yourself, if you want to ask for your questions. Maybe it's your

career, your health, your family, or your finances. For each one

of those, pause and thank God specifically. Say out loud,

"Lord, this did not come from my own strength. You were the one

who gave me the power to succeed. I remember you today." And let

that become a regular practice, especially in the good seasons.

Because the mountaintop is where we're most likely to forget the

God who carried us up the hill.

success can make us spiritually forgetful. When life is good,

we're tempted to believe we did it all on our own. Forgive us of

our pride. Remind us today that every good gift comes from you.

Help us to stay humble and grateful and to be completely

dependent on you, not just in the valleys, but especially on

the mountaintops. In Jesus' name, Amen. If this episode encouraged

you, would you share it with a friend who might be navigating a

season of success and needs this reminder? Just send them the

link from the show notes. They may need to hear that the

greatest test of faith isn't always adversity. Sometimes it's

abundance. Thanks for joining me on Daily Devotions for Busy

Lives. Remember, God is the one who gives you the power to be

successful. Don't let abundance make you forget the one who

provided it. Come back next time for more encouragement to help

you live grounded in God's truth. Until then, God bless, and have

a great day.