The Stress of Success
The Stress of Success
Philippians 4:11-12 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
When we hear that someone is under a tremendous amount of stress our assumption is most often these burdens are of a negative nature. We may assume it to be in the area of poor health, financial difficulties, divorce or death of a loved one. In most cases we want to minister and support this person in their area of need. They will become part of our prayer life as we lift them up into God’s loving care. What if I told you their stress had to do with success?
As our children develop into adulthood we want them to be able to address and deal with stress in a way that is God honoring. We may pay close attention to their experiences with negative stress and hopefully equip them with Godly tools which address these disappointments and hurts. How often do we address the stress a child experiences who is talented and gifted? More than half of the men I have worked with regarding sexual addiction fell into the category of never having learned to deal with the stress of success. Paul, in verse 12, states he had learned the secret of facing plenty. When you carry this stress, you believe that you always have to be performing at your highest level and internally are driven by the spirit of fear. I have worked with men who were not emotionally fearful of any person but were driven by this fear of failure.
Jesus made it clear that if we are bound to him them the burden is light. We cannot carry the burdens of failure nor the burdens of success. When we carry this burden it will become our identity and we will produce image management to cover up any insecurities. This in turn leads us into temptation. If I believe I am all the accolades others place upon my performance then it feeds my narcissistic entitlement. If the pressure of always having to be perfect crushes me then I will seek an escape into chemical abuse or sexual fantasy.
Once again, Paul said he had learned the secret of dealing with these situations. Are you in the process of learning how a Godly person deals with the stress of success? Remember, who you are is not based upon your good or bad performances. Who you are is based upon the perfect and sinless life of Jesus Christ.
If you find yourself ready to address the secret sexual sin in your life, Perfect Hope offers a message of hope through our material and services. For more information about our Blessing of the Thorn Course click here. To learn more about how sexual affects the Christian click here for your copy of The Blessing of the Thorn ebook.
Jonathan Jones, President and Founder of Perfect Hope Ministry
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