From Judges 8:22-28.

The biggest danger to success is the worship of your success.

After Gideon found victory and he was a Mighty Warrior, the people wanted him to rule. Smartly, he refused and said the Lord will rule over you.

And yet, Gideon fell into a trap. He made an ephod. This ephod became a snare, or a lure, to the people of Israel and to Gideon. They didn’t go full on idol worship forgetting God. The ephod reminded them of the success. So it baited them into worshipping something other than God himself.

The end to Gideon’s story is a reminder to us. Don’t let success become a trap, snare, bait for us to worship.

Don’t destroy one sacred cow only to create your own.

What has you baited right now?

Destroy sacred cows so people can Hear & Follow Jesus only. Not Hear & Follow Jesus plus a style, a ministry, a growth number or your pet project.

The people need a Savior, and you are not one. Nor is the success that baits you into worshiping it. You get to point people to the One who does save their soul.

The people will want something to seek after that is tangible. It is human nature. You keep Hearing & Following Jesus alone. Lead your staff to Hear & Follow Jesus. So that everyone around you will be led to Hear & Follow Jesus first, before anything else.