This saying is often true: Behind every successful man is his spouse. But success has its pitfalls. Why is a successful man vulnerable to the charms of the ‘other woman’?
Many successful men owe their achievements, in part, to their spouses who look after the home front while they concentrate on their businesses or ministries.
It seems that behind every successful man is his spouse, whether he’s a success in the secular or spiritual realm.
No one is saying that ‘his woman’ is the main or sole reason for his success. Rather, she contributes to his success. She plays a complementary role. *
But success has its pitfalls. Successful men are often vulnerable to the enticements of the 3 G’s—. By the latter, I mean ‘other women‘.
Why is a successful man particularly vulnerable to the charms of the ‘other woman’?
Firstly, when he has attained success, he tends to become , thinking that he got there through self-effort. Success is, in a sense, a double-edged sword. While we rejoice in the blessings that success brings, we need to bear in mind that our innate tendency is to forget God when times are good.
Secondly, the ‘other woman’—or shall we say other women—would often seek his attention and try to get to know him better. Like bees looking for pollen. Or, to contextualise it to our Malaysian scene, like flies swarming around salted fish.
After all, it takes two hands to clap. It takes two to tango.
Of course, it doesn’t mean less successful men don’t have moral failures or extra-marital affairs. But, all things being equal, successful men are more vulnerable to the charms of other women.
Finally, before someone accuses me of tarring with a broad brush those who are successful, let me state that there are also successful men who are morally upright with happy, harmonious homes. Well, if they are that come with success, they are less likely to fall.
To meditate on the virtues of ‘his woman’, let us consider this:
“An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.”
(Proverbs 31: 10-11)
Let us not be captivated by the charms of the ‘other woman’:
“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” (Proverbs 31:30)
“Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes.” (Proverbs 6: 25)
For extra-marital affairs come with a heavy price:
“Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned?” (Proverbs 6: 27)
“He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself.
He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.” (Proverbs 6: 32-33)
Footnote:
* I am not implying that a single man cannot be successful without a woman behind him or that a woman should always play second fiddle to a man when it comes to success.
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ABOUT Author: Dr Lim Poh Ann is a medical practitioner. He was the former editor of Asian Beacon magazine (December 2008 – October 2011). He can be reached at his blog, Porridge for the Soul
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