I've begun to read Jim Collins book, How the Mighty Fall. Collins is a writer and researcher of companies. Good ones. Great ones. Weak ones. For years his organization has been involved in looking deeply into why and how companies find success. His unbiased perspective is refreshing and insightful and anyone interested in understanding how to make a business successful will benefit from his writings.
In How the Mighty Fall, Collins evaluates many of the formerly great companies of US history and what led to their demise. One of his statements however crosses lines from business to personal situations. He writes "when the rhetoric of success ('We're successful because we do these successful things') replaces penetrating understanding and insight ('We're successful because we understand why we do these specific things and under what conditions they would no longer work'), decline will very likely follow."
Many times in life we experience less painful moments and all seems to be well with the world. We often look at our life and perceive we are successful as a Christian, husband, wife, parent, child, business person, or friend because we are not experiencing tough moments. We see what we are doing and forget to ask why. We forget to evaluate the conditions of our moments. We fail to realize that life is always changing.
For example, my parenting changes as my children grow older. Some of what I did at the early stages of parenting may continue, but the way I handle a 2 year old is different than how I handle a 12 year old. If I do not understand that conditions are always changing and adapt, then I am destined for tough times. I can become too dependent on the "tried and true practices" but fail to see how conditions change and adapt my practices. My relationship with my wife is ever changing. The conditions change and unless my love and the way I demonstrate my love adapts, I am destined for failure.
Always be aware of the changing circumstances and conditions. Be aware that what is seen is not always reality. Collins gives a heartbreaking example in his book. He and his wife are runners. They were running up a mountain pass. He became out of breath and his wife continued running. He rounded a corner and saw her red jacket continuing to outpace him as she continued the run. In a few months she would undergo a double mastectomy. Neither of them knew that as she ran, looking like the picture of health, cancer was growing in her body.
That same reality can occur in every relationship of life, unless we probe beneath the surface and evaluate what is really going on...and change as necessary, we may find failure. Our spiritual walk with God may seem to be strong, but how easy it is to slip back into disease and darkness.
Comments