Breaking the Cycle

Financial success often brings a subtle yet dangerous threat—spiritual failure. It’s a trap that none of us are immune to, and many smart, hardworking people find themselves losing sight of what matters most when prosperity comes. The good news is, there’s a way out. It begins by understanding the toxic cycle of success and why so many fall into this trap. THE TOXIC CYCLE OF SUCCESS 1 / WORK Success begins with hard work. Christians know that God is a worker and He made us to work too. As a result of hard work, we often prosper. The Bible says, “the hand of the diligent makes rich” (Proverbs 10:4). 2 / PROSPER But when the money rolls in, we begin to subtly think, “It’s my money, I earned it.” We find ourselves, like the rich fool in Jesus’ parable, inclined to settle down and “relax, eat, drink, be merry” (Luke 12:19). 3 / REST

However, the rest we seek is often a withdrawal. We think, “This is my time to golf, travel, fish, shop, watch TV, and be entertained. I’ve earned it.” Others may applaud us for our success and independence, but a self-focused disengagement spirals us further inward and away from our purpose.

4 / FORGET Wealth often blinds us from our need for God. We have not listened to God’s warning to the Israelites: “Take care lest you forget the LORD your God... lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up and you forget the Lord your God... Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth’” (Deuteronomy 8:11-17). When we rely on ourselves, our wealth and success, we stop seeking God and his kingdom first. 5 / SIN It may be comfort or security that we’ve chased. For some its luxury and pleasure. Others of us have wanted to prove ourselves and earn an identity. But when God takes second place to anything in our lives, we become “lovers of self, lovers of money ... lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:2, 5). We may not openly reject Jesus, we’ve wandered away from our first love. A BETTER WAY: GOD’S RHYTHM FOR LIFE

The cycle of success has an antidote—a rhythm for life designed by God. By embracing this better way, we can live a life of true flourishing.

1 / REST

Behind the intense drive of many people is their hope to succeed so much that one day they can finally rest. But in God’s ten commandments we find the surprising command to rest one day a week. The Sabbath is a gift of rest. It’s a weekly rhythm God instituted to remind us that He is in control of our lives and “it is he who gives you power to get wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18). God doesn’t need us to strive and hustle. He invites us to trust Him every week and Sabbath. Christians are people who don’t work for rest, we work from rest.

2 / WORSHIP

One of things we do on the Sabbath is worship God. King David wrote nearly half of the 150 Psalms in our Bible and as we read David’s psalms, he continually calls us to “Sing praises to God.” Worship reverses our natural tendency to be consumed with ourselves and our work. It helps us remember and feel that Jesus is more valuable than any success, achievement, or treasure we could ever pursue.

3 / WORK

Out of rest and worship, we then go to work. God made us to work and that often looks like showing up to serve our clients, lead our team, increase our sales, grow our company, and honor our employers. Our work done well is another form of worship (Colossians 3:23). But Christians don’t work primarily to get money. We work to steward the gifts God has given us to serve others, provide for our families, and fulfill the good works God prepared for our lives (Ephesians 2:10).

4 / PROSPER

When we serve others well and solve important problems we’ll often prosper. As we do, we hold wealth with open hands, rather than closed fists. We acknowledge that “our money” belongs to God and not us: “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:8). Instead of building our own kingdoms on earth, we’ll ask God how we can join him in building His kingdom. When we open our hands, God will open our eyes to see the needs of leaders, churches, ministries, missionaries, the poor and those hurting around us.

5 / GIVE

Instead of using our money to withdraw and escape into lives of pleasure and ease, we’ll use God’s money to be rich in good works, generous and ready to share (1 Timothy 6:17-18). Giving will become a passion for us because we love God and love people and want to help people know God. We’ll use our wealth to make friends for eternity (Luke 16:9). We’ll live with a heartbeat of generosity and show the world what our Father in heaven is like.

6 / REJOICE

Finally, when we give, we’ll experience one of the purest joys on earth. Being God’s channel to bless people and advance the gospel will reinvigorate our work. In fact, we’ll find greater purpose and motivation to work than we’ve ever experienced before. Long hours and heavy responsibility will be acts of love that are connected to an eternal mission. We’ll find that instead of living for weekends, vacations, or retirement, our work will be one of the primary things we do to worship God. And our joy will abound more and more.

EMBRACING A NEW RHYTHM

This is the better way—God’s way. Each week, we return to rest and worship, grounding our lives in God’s presence and purpose. In doing so, we not only avoid spiritual failure but also discover a life filled with joy, generosity, and abundance in Christ.

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This article was published in our Faithful Steward magazine, a quarterly publication filled with encouraging stories, biblical teaching, and practical tools to help you grow as a wise and joyful giver. If you'd like to begin receiving Faithful Steward, consider becoming a FaithFi partner.