December 12

2 comments

Why are so many good people struggling to succeed while the wicked succeed with ease?

By Michael Q. Pink

December 12, 2018


Jeremiah asked that question…

King David in Psalm 73 wrestled with it too. In today’s culture, that thought is so pervasive, that people have just accepted it as the way things are… As if there is nothing that can be done about it. There’s even a common expression for it… Nice guys finish… LAST! And that’s just the way the unscrupulous want it.

But it doesn’t have to be that way…

In Jeremiah’s lament, he complains how the wicked prosper and live at ease. He asks in Jeremiah 12, “How long must the land mourn (be desolate) and the grass and herbs of the whole country wither?”


Photo by oldskool photography on Unsplash

He’s complaining about the barrenness or lack of productivity or profit from the land. Things aren’t working out well, sales are slow, but the wicked are doing great!

I hear that a lot from Christians. They’ll say, “I don’t do as well as so and so, because I won’t lie to get a sale.” That is so lame! They blame their lack of success on the other guy who is succeeding in a dishonest way.

But how does God respond to Jeremiah? Does He say, “Yeah… I totally get it. They’re liars and cheaters. That’s a far better strategy for success, but I don’t want you to be like that. You’re going to have to get used to losing if you’re going to be one of My kids. At least you’re a nice guy and you know what they always say,… Nice guys finish last!”

No! God does NOT say that.

He asks Jeremiah, “If you have raced with men on foot and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses?” In other words, if you can’t even compete with a man, even a dishonest one, how are you going to do against much bigger challenges? (BTW… It’s much easier to win against a dishonest competitor than an honest one. Think about it.)

Jeremiah 12:5

God continues… “And if [you take to flight] in a land of peace where you feel secure, then what will you do [when you tread the tangled maze of jungle, haunted by lions] in the swelling and flooding of the Jordan?” (AMP) In other words, You haven’t seen nothin’ yet. If you can’t handle life on this level, how are you going to fare when things really get tough?

God goes on to say, “The whole land does indeed lie in waste, but it’s because no man sets his mind, or his heart on it.They simply didn’t care enough to take personal responsibility and acquire the knowhow to remedy the situation. Their lack of success… Their dire straits was 100% on them!

As for the wicked, David came to the conclusion that their end would be destruction. And as for him, he would draw near to God, put his trust in Him, so that he could declare all the works of God. (Psalm 73:28)

If you want to declare the works of God in your life…

You’re going to have to put yourself in the arena where you can be tested, challenged, and actually see God working on your behalf. It might not be pretty and it will probably be scary, but when you’ve learned how to wield the sword of the Spirit (God’s Word) you will have such victories that will leave you, like David, declaring the mighty works of God.

And BTW, wielding the word of God, doesn’t always mean quoting it, although it definitely includes that. In the marketplace of the world, it more often than not means, demonstrating the Word through your actions.

For example, do you know why God created vegetables before He created trees? Do you know how incredibly important that answer is to having success in sales or business? Do you know how to wield that truth in the marketplace?

I do.

And I wield that knowledge to get big wins in the marketplace not only for me, but for my students and clients. For many, it’s the difference between winning and losing. But as God lamented in Hosea, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

So sad. And so utterly avoidable.

In fact, God states the reason for their lack of knowledge is that they rejected it. They turned it down. Like so many do today.

But that needn’t be you or me.

If you want to learn the most amazing Biblical principles, strategies and tactics for sales and business, be sure to join my mailing list here so you will be notified when I release my brand new and super exciting training and coaching programs, Supernatural Selling and Supernatural Business. You’re going to love them!

Until next time, be fruitful and multiply!

Michael Q. Pink

About the author

Michael is America's leading authority on applying Biblical Wisdom and Natural Law to sales and business and has authored 19 books including The Bible Incorporated, Selling Among Wolves and God's Best Kept Secrets. Using that knowledge, he has helped thousands of professionals and entrepreneurs experience radical transformation in their lives and careers, including helping a start-up with 3 struggling sales reps turn the corner and become the 16th fastest growing company on the INC 500 list. 

  • Michael, I just had to laugh…not once has integrity caused me to do without what I needed and a lot of what I wanted. In fact, it has been the opposite. Integrity, generosity and learning to work smarter rather harder seems to be the key. I used much of your teaching for salesmen to raise up leaders in my church. We were able to give thousands of dollars to missionaries from a small congregation of sometimes only three people. We believed we could so we did. Thanks for your encouragement for the body. Everything you teach can be used in any profession….

    • Joanne… Thanks for sharing how you used my teaching for salesmen to raise up leaders in your church! You said that my teaching can be used in any profession. Judy said something similar to me, just this morning! (-:

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