PASTOR’S CORNER: Don’t let the devil ride

Today, I want to talk about success and the pitfalls that come with it.

Success is a good thing. All of us want it. It means that we have positively accomplished something. It makes us feel good to win something, reach a certain level, and achieve the set goal. We all want to be successful, for nobody likes to fail.

On our job, we want to be successful. In our marriages and raising our children, we want to be successful and we want them to be successful. If we are entrepreneurs starting our own businesses, we want to succeed. In our academic achievements and our relationships, we want to be successful.

In any career or nonprofit organization, we want to be successful. In the ministry of the church — winning souls for Christ — we want to be successful. In anything that we are pursuing, we want to be successful in it.

But, the thing about success is that with success comes temptation. Satan always attacks us when we are successful. He targets successful people. That’s why when God blesses us, exalts us, gives us a good position on our job, puts a title behind our name; when God gives us favor, we have to be careful. Success can blind us, and there is a cost that comes with success.

Community, I just want to remind you that the devil is around every corner — hitchhiking, trying to flag us down. We know this because we hear every single day about some successful person who is doing very well; some well-known politician, lawyer, husband, wife, etc., who has been brought down because when they got successful, they failed to watch as well as pray, as directed in Mark 13:33-37. They failed to be vigilant, and the devil sucker punched them. None of us are exempt. We have to stay on our game.

Uzziah is a good example. He proved to be a man of character — an honest, upright, young person who had his head on straight, and a man of integrity. He is a perfect example of success when you put God first in anything that you do, (II Chronicles 26:1-5). The Bible says he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to verses 4-5. It says Uzziah sought the Lord and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.

Community, things can be going good in the home and in the church. The Lord is blessing, the driving is smooth but just down the road Satan is hitchhiking. Somebody will pick him up. Sin enters the camp, communication stops and things fall apart.

Uzziah sought God. He started out right and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper. This is the key to spiritual success for anybody. If you want to be blessed in what you are doing; if you want to prosper in what you are doing; if you want God to elevate you; if you want to enjoy life the right way; if you want God to answer your prayers; if you want to walk in the favor of God in anything that you are doing, do like Uzziah did. Hhe sought the Lord and because he did, God prospered him.

People don’t get it. They leave God out of their lives. They leave God out of their relationships and their businesses. They get saved and then drift away from God. Then they wonder why their lives go array and fall apart. You can’t serve the devil and expect to prosper. The devil wants to kill and destroy you!

In everything Uzziah did, God blessed him because he put God first. Community, we can’t lose when we put God first and we can’t win when we don’t! Community when God is for you, who can be against you? When God prospers you, can’t nobody curse you!

But we must seek the Lord. Uzziah did it at the tender age of only 16 years old but what he forgot, probably in his later years, was that with success comes temptation and sin lies at the door. He got beside himself. He allowed pride to fill his heart. The Bible says that when he was strong, after God blessed him, his heart was lifted up to his destruction. He transgressed against the Lord. He took a censer and did that which only the priests were supposed to do. He burned incense on the golden altar.

At that very moment, God struck him with leprosy in his forehead and he was a leper for the rest of his life. He spent the final years of his reign isolated and alone. He started out good, but he let the devil ride! Don’t let the devil ride because if you let him ride, he will want to drive. Friends, if God has blessed you, watch out for pride. Don’t think more of yourself than you ought to (Romans 12:3). Stay humble and watch out for the devil. He’s still hitchhiking.

Friends, stay connected to the vine. Stay in the word, draw near unto God and God will draw near unto you, (James 4:8). The more he blesses you, the more you ought to serve him. If God is blessing you, watch out! See, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.

Uzziah started right and was blessed, but he let the devil ride. In all you do, put God first and don’t let the devil ride.