Photo: Citizen TV Presenter Willis Raburu and his wife Marya Prude, the two separated after it emerged that Willis had an affair.
By Gordon Opiyo via Facebook
3am Thought
Today, this thought comes late due to travel commitments by yours truly.
My focus today is on the Dangers of Success
I always reflect on my life and experiences I have seen people I know go through – and this season, I look at the life and times of David, the herds-boy turned king.
Being Successful presents the biggest irony in life- it is the time one can fall off into the lowest pit.
In fact the Bible clearly warns in 1 Corinthians 10: “12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall”
As we continue looking at the life of king David, you see a clear pattern – after some major victories – pride set in, he becomes complacent and arrogant – then boom!!!!!!!! a major crisis follows.
That can be said of our lives, and in lives of people you see around. It happens in companies, Churches, Schools and even in Football teams. Success is dangerous……..if not well handled.
Starting with king David, you see in 2 Samuel 10 how David got one of his biggest victories when a huge army of Ammonites, combined with 20,000 Arameans, king of Maakah with his men and thousands of soldiers from Tob. They surrounded David, and with the help of God, David defeated the enemy that had risen up to destroy him and Israel……….that is chapter 10. In the next chapter, after the great victory….. 2 Samuel 11 records the most shameful part of David’s life, the Bethsheba Sex Scandal. David, instead of going to War, rested on his past success, and was basking in his glory, when his eyes strayed on a very beautiful Woman …showering. You know how it ended, and how he ended up killing her husband.
David’s saga with Bethsheba is a true reflection to what happens to many men………..and nowadays even women.
Once success comes, many tend to forget that they are in the middle of a battle. They also tend to become arrogant, and begin to look down upon others. When success comes, people tend to think that they are great, and deserve to be worshiped, and become self centered.
On top of all these things ….. the sex drive increases rapidly…………when success comes, and loads of cash comes.
In my life, I have seen great men of God succumb to immorality when money comes on their way. I have seen great businessmen come down due to sexual immorality. In Standard Building along Kenyatta Avenue, there was once one of the greatest businessmen in Nairobi who rented a whole floor (Something that only Banks and multinationals could do). He had fleets of cars. Then he kicked out his wife and got himself many pretty young girls. In two years, his empire crumbled, and he was reduced a to a small shop at the corner, and was recently kicked out for failing to pay for that small shop. I shared a story sometime back of how a popular comedian kicked out her husband when success set in…….. now nobody remembers her any more.
It happens to both men and women, but this problem is more prevalent among men.
If you find yourself at the top…….take extra care not to fall into arrogance, madharau and sex scandals….remember where you came from, and ask God to let you remain humble to go higher and higher.
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