No More Islands (Part 4): How Not To Let Success Become Your Greatest Failure
#1 Listen to “No More Islands: How Not To Let Success Become Your Greatest Failure”
Consider this Sunday morning’s lesson. You can listen here: http://bit.ly/1gCDfNL
Or watch here [video will be posted by Monday each week]: www.vimeo.com/rrcoc
What stuck out to you as interesting?
Did you encounter any challenging or re-orienting truth?
How’d it make you feel?
#2 The Sweet Taste of Success
Go around the circle and share one time each of you felt like you'd truly succeeded. Could be small or big, funny or serious, recent or long ago. Go!
Why do you think success feels so good?
Success, of course, can be dangerous. Think out loud together and come up with 4 reasons that's the case.
#3 Watch Out
Read Proverbs 16:18--"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall."
Share a time when you've seen this to be the case, either in your life or someone else's.
Not that we need proof of this, but just for good measure here's a highlight reel of some relevant sports moments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY3SQ5C22mY
How can we guard against fall-inducing pride in our lives?
#4 Game Plan
Given that a strong relationship with God helps success to be a blessing rather than a curse, collaborate as a group to come up with 10 specific and practical things a person could do in order to bolster their faith in the interest of surviving success.
Now each of you choose one thing off the list you're going to do tomorrow morning.
#5 Myth Busting
Jane Austin, author of What No On Ever Tells You About Leading for Results, says many people in the throes of what she calls "toxic success" argue that they "will lose their edge" or slow down if they cut back on work commitments. She offers the following myth busters:
- I'll do whatever it takes until I really make it. This distorted view assumes that life doesn't exist until you've reached your goal;
- My success is defined by my career and how much money I make. This distortion places no value on the complete individual.
- I'll live a balanced life once I'm successful. This "if, then" argument places responsibility for life in the future and ignores that fact that behaviors become hard wired and hard to change.
- I have to stay on the fast track to be seen as a player. This fear-driven argument leaves control of your life in someone else's hands.
Read them aloud with your group and discuss after each:
-Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?
-What spiritual parallels or relevance do you see in this statement?
#6 Something Fun
As we conclude this No More Islands series, here's one not-so-poignant reminder that we can't do life alone.