When You’ve Reached the Top

Deuteronomy 28:1

And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

God promised Israel that if they did right, He would set them on high above all nations of the earth. God was saying that by doing right, they would be at the top for all others to look at, and because they were at the top, many nations would also follow them. However, being at the top puts a target on your back that will cause many to shoot at you.

If you do right, and if God chooses to bless you to the point that you rise above those of your day, you must understand that this is both a blessing and a curse. Doing right always brings God’s blessings. One thing you must beware of is that when you get to the top, the top brings four actions from others.

First, being at the top causes some to admire you. Some will look at you from a distance and be thankful for what the LORD has done through your life and ministry, but they will not join you because of the fear of what others might think about them. These are not your enemies, but they are also not your friend. Many will say good things about you because you have reached the top, but beware of them because they will turn on you when others come after you.

Second, being at the top causes some to follow you. This is the part of being at the top that many want. We like that people follow us because of God’s blessings, but we must not become prideful that others are following us. We must realize they are following us because God blessed us, and they want to learn from us how they can get those same blessings on themselves. You must continue doing right and stay humble so that others will continue to desire to learn from you.

Third, being at the top causes many to criticize you. Being at the top means that everyone will see everything you do. Many will criticize every decision and everything you do, but you must not let that affect your spirit. Doing right and having God’s blessings always brings criticism from the jealous. Criticism is not the end of the world because it causes some to look at you to see what you are doing, and they will choose to follow you. Criticism should also cause you to see if any of the criticism is true, and if it is, change that area.

Fourth, being at the top causes some to shoot at you to destroy you. You will never make peace with these people. If you reach the top, you must have the stomach for battles. You must understand that many will hate you because of what you stand for and how God is blessing you. Never let the battle cause you to leave the right that brought God’s blessings to you. Continue doing the right that brought the attacks because the right will keep God’s blessings on you despite the attacks.

My friend, with blessing comes responsibility. People are watching you, and you must not let their watchful eye cause you to step back or compromise. God brought you to the top for a reason, and you must continue doing right, winning souls, stay humble, and continue to push for new heights. Being at the top brings blessings and curses, but you must keep doing what brought you to the top, for the blessings of God far outweigh the curse of the battles.