Arrogance and Complacency

There are two negative byproducts of success: arrogance and complacency.

When people have a measure of success in their lives, arrogance is a natural byproduct. Suddenly, you are the best, the biggest, the smartest—the Greatest of All Time. Nobody can teach you anything because you know everything, and you don’t need anybody’s advice.

Proverbs 16:18 says, “First pride, then the crash—the bigger the ego, the harder the fall” (MSG). When we put ourselves on a pedestal, a crash is inevitable. The higher we place ourselves, the farther we fall.

The reality is there will always be someone bigger, smarter, and better. It might even be a little boy in a garage, cooking up the next great invention. That should be enough to humble anyone!

Pride leads to destruction, but complacency is just as dangerous as pride. Complacency is when you stop learning, stop being sharp, stop being teachable, stop being passionate about what you do, and stop caring. Some people make some progress, and then they become complacent; they stop trying.

Businesses and churches often move into a zone of complacency, where the worship is no longer passionate, the prayers are no longer passionate, the sermon is no longer passionate, and the church begins to stagnate rather than grow.

Are there areas in your life, ministry, or job where you have stopped trying—either because you think you have reached the top or are content with where you are and no longer feel the need to keep climbing?

After God blesses you, after you experience a measure of success, don’t become arrogant and complacent. Don’t become self-satisfied. Continue to climb. Continue to stretch. Continue to grow.

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