182. Are You Listening?

Last episode I made a confession to live up to who God says I am rather than making excuses or hiding or deferring to others. That's all false humility and is not helping anyone. On the other side, how do you keep yourself from getting too full of yourself and ending up in failure?

I believe we are on the cusp of another great awakening that is happening all over the world, right now! So as we step and into more of what God does on and through us, beyond our own ability, how do we stay humble and finish strong?

Step one - if you are in business or lead any organization, read this:

I highly recommend you read the Jim Collins book, How The Mighty Fall, to see the evidential pathway to failure (THAT WE CAN AVOID!) At least read the summary HERE: 

1. Hubris born of success - "We are awesome. Look at me." Overinflated view of self.
2. Undisciplined pursuit of more - "We can succeed at anything, so we will..." Take on multiple tasks, objectives outside core strength and vision (or lack thereof).
3. Denial of Risk and Peril - "We don't have a problem." Blaming others or ignoring the feedback. External momentum has pushed company to great height(s).
4. Grasping for salvation - "This new product/leader/market/culture... will turn this around." Refusing to own the problem and return to core competency(ies).
5. Capitulation to irrelevance or death - The end

So what's the solution? 

Some of my Christian friends would say "stay connected to Christ" or "stay in the Presence." Only problem is, I have read about Judas who couldn't have been more connected Christ, yet failed monumentally. 

Then there's Lucifer who was the arch-angel of worship; literally surrounding the throne and directing praise and worship in Heaven. I cannot see how anyone could be closer to the Presence of God - the wonder and awe and amazement as angels and heavenly beings cry holy, holy, holy... Yet he still succumbed to the hubris born of success and failed eternally.

Another solution is to pursue wisdom and understanding. The only problem there is that the wisest person in the world - Solomon, failed to heed his own instruction and failed miserably.

Hmmmm....

So I need to have someone who will adjust me?

Great idea! Yet Judas was an example of having the best discipleship on the planet, yet still chose to profit himself first, and ended terminally...

Solomon looked so successful on the outside and was the wisest person in the world, and the entire nation was prospering ridiculously under his leadership.... He would have been very difficult to confront/adjust in the momentum of his success.

And confronting Lucifer... or the most seemingly successful worship leader in history, would have been interesting. How many gifted or anointed leaders (in ministry or in business or in government...) have been easy to confront in the midst of their success?

So should I stay small and avoid success? 

NO!!!! Unacceptable. That is partnering with fear and robbing the world and your friends of who you are. Go back and listen to last episode to deal with that thought.

So what is the solution?

How do I ensure I step up fully in who I am called to be and knock it out of the park (ie. do awesome) and not allow awesome to sabotage my finish?

The story of David is a great lesson to help us. He was incredibly anointed and gifted. He had epic success after years of wilderness discipleship. Then, at the heights of his success, when nothing he did looked like it could fail, David failed more than most people in a lifetime. He lusted aft