I recently watched a documentary about a man that was a household name in America during his peak.  Although he died many years ago, he’s still very well known.  What amazed me about this documentary was how they exalted the man and his “success” while glossing over his disastrous personal life.

The man had fame, money, popularity, an impressive assortment of awards, and unbridled public esteem and yet, by all accounts, he was a distant, disconnected father and had a hard time staying married, or faithful, to any of his four wives.  In the end, he died isolated and alone.

I know people make mistakes and that nobody is perfect but I have a hard time thinking anyone can be called a success that has so clearly failed relationally.

To my way of thinking, true success should be defined as having healthy, dynamic relationships with God, your family, and a handful of key friends.  Anything less than that, no matter how glamorous, is just gold-plated trappings.  It’s nothing more than a beautiful silk lining in a dusty, old coffin.

True life, and success, comes from loving God and loving others.