The Snares of SuccessSample

The Snares of Success: Part I

Recently, I interviewed Anne Beiler, founder of Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, about the snares of success. Anne was an 8th grade educated stay-at-home Amish mom when she determined to help support her family by starting a pretzel business.

From the humble beginnings of one farmer’s market store, Anne grew the business to over 900 stores around the world prior to selling the business. That kind of success can bring many temptations and snares along the way.

Proverbs 22:5 teaches, “Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; One who guards himself will be far from them.”

This proverb is a reminder that we are all susceptible to the evil lurking in our flesh and the many challenges we can face in a perverse world. Recognizing the possibilities and guarding yourself against those snares is critical.

The first step in guarding yourself is being aware of what snares might be ahead. Pausing occasionally to consider the ways the enemy might use to destroy you can be helpful.

In this series we will address some of the temptations and snares you should guard against.

Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever been swept up in the pride of your success? What was the end result?
2. Consider others you have known or even celebrities who have stumbled due to their success? What were the contributing factors?
3. How would you feel if the pride of your future success caused you to stumble? How might that fall impact your family and friends?
4. What steps might you take to guard yourself from the snares of success?