The Emptiness of Success

When you feel like your best is not enough, Jesus’ best is more than enough.

The malaise of pandemic has left most of us weary, young and old. I chuckled at the honest post from a young man last week:

“My grandfather served in WWII, started his own business and built his own house. I feel too tired to text people back.”

 In recent days, we’ve been exposing counterfeit pathways to energy for living. I’ve always been more tempted by the allure of performance than I have the pleasures rebellion promises. It’s terribly tempting to think that success will make us feel alive.

I’ll never forget a “60 Minutes” interview with NFL star quarterback Tom Brady. Steve Kroft interviewed Brady in 2010. At the time, Brady had won three super bowls (now he’s won six) and he had just signed a $72 million dollar contract with the Patriots (the highest paid player ever at that time). I don’t know much about Tom Brady (though one of our pastors is related to him). He seems like a wonderful guy. I appreciated the raw honesty of the interview—here’s an excerpt from the transcript:

BRADY: “I put incredible amounts of pressure on me. When you feel like you’re ultimately responsible for everyone and everything, even though you have no control over it, and you still blame yourself if things don’t go right — I mean, there’s a lot of pressure. A lot of times I think I get very frustrated and introverted, and there’s times where I’m not the person that I want to be.

Why do I have three Super Bowl rings, and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, “Hey man, this is what is.” I reached my goal, my dream, my life. Me, I think: God, it’s gotta be more than this. I mean this can’t be what it’s all cracked up to be. I mean I’ve done it. I’m 27. And what else is there for me?

KROFT: What’s the answer?

BRADY: I wish I knew. I wish I knew.

When I’m tempted to believe the lie that whispers just a little more success and you’ll feel fully alive, it helps to remember the Tom Brady interview. Twenty super bowl rings can’t make us feel alive. Only God can. And that’s the Gospel!