The Men of Iron Minute

by Chad Zueck | Director of Content Creation

The Myth of the Over Night Success

The desire to go viral is off the rails right now. Sadly, people wanting to be elevated to another platform and social status abandon who they are in their lust. We all want to be seen and heard. This is not a novel idea or concept; these are basic human needs built into our design. But the desire to be seen needs the Spirit of God to help put the brakes on a man’s ambition. Furthermore, one of the three temptations of Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11) is a temptation to bypass his identity and relinquish himself for the sake of being a spectacle (being seen). Being seen and heard are human, and the attraction of virality (being seen and becoming famous) is nothing new.

The myth of the overnight success is a constructed narrative built upon the same principle as the temptation that Jesus overcame. His temptation reveals what is true about every man, and there is a way to debunk or short-circuit this myth. This myth is built upon a “house of cards” idea that you can do things the easy way and achieve lasting and fulfilling results. The myth and the tool of tempting is ambition. Ambition is amoral – meaning that ambition is neither good nor bad. It becomes good or bad when it is applied, but on its own, ambition is morally neutral. The myth of the overnight success is founded upon the vapor that all my aspirations are good and I can achieve maximum success by doing things the easy way. The idea and mindset behind Seinfeld’s famous quote, “I have an idea for a show about nothing,” doesn’t always compute to being Rolex rich and Lambo affluent. It takes more than ideas and easy living.

Biblically, Jesus had to endure the cross to achieve victory over sin and death, and there was nothing easy about the cross of Calvary. Thus, we gain more from failure, grit, and perseverance than what “success” offers.

These are elements of a good man, father, friend, or businessman.

Do something.

Dare greatly.

Be a better man.

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