Sometimes I think success is a harder thing to handle than failure. It’s easy to get caught up in it and let it go to your head. It’s sure easy to get stuck in it and not move on to the next challenge in life. Sometimes it creates an entitlement mentality. On the other hand, if one does not feel worthy of success, it may produce guilt or even self sabotage.

Jesus knew how to handle success successfully. Yes, there were times when he was wildly popular and when he was being courted as the Son of David – the Messiah of Israel. Remember when he triumphantly entered Jerusalem before the Passover and the crowds yelled: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38)

I think one of Jesus’ secrets was that he never saw success as an end in itself. He knew what he was about and he knew that along the way he would win some and lose some. One minute they would be praising him for raising someone from the dead and the next minute they would be plotting to kill him for the same deed.

Jesus didn’t care what the people thought; he only cared what his heavenly Father thought. That’s a good thing for us to keep in mind as successes come along in life to us. Success of any kind (even in the spiritual realm) is fleeting. Savor the moment and then move on.

If you look at it any other way, you could be in danger of failing at success.