Don’t Let Success Ruin Your Next Agenda

Mark 1:37
and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
Mark 1:38
Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”

A series of events have given Jesus great success as He begins His ministry. He has called disciples. While at the Synagogue on Sabbath people are amazed at His teaching with authority, different from other teachers of the law. Jesus has a team and public opinion is good. While at the Synagogue he heals a demon-possessed man and this report spreads far and fast Mark 1:28. That evening Jesus goes to heal Peter’s mother-in-law and later in the evening He heals all sorts of people from the whole town who have followed Him. At this point, Jesus is very successful by all standards.

Jesus responds to the great success by waking up early to go and pray in a solitary place, Mark 1:35. Jesus is teaching us by example that when we are successful, we should cling to God and draw closer to Him than ever before. Success can blind us from seeing God who has acted to make us succeed. To avoid being blinded by success, we must deliberately seek God. Sometimes seeking God in public is a formality to satisfy expectations. To genuinely interact with God, total secrecy and privacy are necessary.

Success makes many of us relax the hardworking we were engaged in. Jesus does not relax, He wakes up early in the morning. After success, wake up early. If you relax after success, you may not sustain it. Keep on keeping on. Jesus did not relax, He woke up early and went to pray alone in secrecy. That secret communion with God empowers us throughout the day and helps us overcome the temptations that come with success.

While Jesus is away, the multitude that was with Jesus come looking for Him that early morning. The disciples are not sure what to do with the people. They get excited at how popular this ministry is. They immediately go out to look for Jesus so that they can continue enjoying yesterday’s success that has spilled over to the morning.

Our text today picks up from the point where Peter and other disciples have found Jesus. They excitedly tell Jesus that everyone is looking for Him. They are reporting this success. They are excited. They are hoping Jesus will rush and go perform more miracles and raise the stakes even higher. They are swimming in the glory of success. But how does Jesus respond? Jesus tells them, “Let us go somewhere else.” What? That gave them a rude shock! Why? How? The masses are waiting. This is the moment.

Jesus explains to them that He has an agenda. His agenda is greater than success in a single village. Jesus tells them that He has to achieve much more in other villages. Jesus reminds them that spreading this message far and wide is why He came. He didn’t come to enjoy the limelight, He came to spread the gospel of the kingdom of God.

When success tempts them, Jesus pulls out the original plan. He reminds them that this success is not all that they came for. Jesus reminds them that there is more to be done and this success is a small piece in the entire plan. Jesus refuses to be distracted by the success, He sticks to the plan.

If Jesus had stayed and enjoyed the success of the previous day, He would have become a village hero, yet He was destined to be a national hero then a global hero. There are many village heroes who would have become global heroes, but they stayed in the village to celebrate one success. Success ruined their entire agenda. Village success distracted them from national and global pursuits. Don’t let success ruin your next agenda!

Good grades are one success, move on to good graduation grades. Getting a job is one success, move on to excellent performance at your work. Getting an income is one success, move on to financial security through investment and savings. Getting into a relationship is one thing, move on to dating properly without sexual distraction so that you truly understand each other before marriage. Marriage is one thing on the wedding day, move on to adjust to each other and make it work. Being a Christian is one success, move on to be closer to God than before through prayers, Bible study, and service. Do not let one success blind you from the next one. Don’t let success ruin your next agenda!

Are you successful? Take note that you have the choice to make it your only success in life by staying around to celebrate it, or, you can move on to achieve much more and be greater than you are today. May I be like Jesus and move on to greater and better achievements, Amen!

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