Whether it’s a corporation, a political leader, or a superstar, there comes a day when they are no longer on the top of the heap. Do you recall when you first realized this? For me, it was when as a teen I read Shelley’s little poem about mighty Ozymandias. Arrogant and grandiose, his hubris was off the charts. See the link, below, to read the poem and learn his fate.*
Later in life I read about Jim Collins, who made a career of exploring the rise of the mighty. He started tracking the life cycles of corporations with his groundbreaking book Built to Last. Next was his huge bestseller, Good to Great (I highly recommend this). Finally, he turned his searchlight on How the Mighty Fall. The results of that research? Turns out that, like mountain climbing, there are only a few ways to the top, but all sorts of ways to reach the bottom. Those descents can be painful, bruising and—often—fatal. Collins writes that a "company can indeed look like the picture of health on the outside yet already be in decline, dangerously on the cusp of a huge fall."
Are there ways to see that fall coming? Collins and crew found there are some usual stages through which the mighty descend on their way to the bottom. If brought to their attention, knowing these stages might allow companies to reverse course before they are too far gone. The first three are particularly instructive:
Stage 1: Hubris Born of Success
Stage 2: Undisciplined Pursuit of More
Stage 3: Denial of Risk and Peril
In the Bible, these “stages” are all present in the nations that surrounded Israel and were constantly conspiring to bring about its downfall. But God sent warnings to those nations. God showed them their hubris, their unbridled appetite, and the risks they were incurring by conspiring against His will.
This week's scriptures, especially Psalm 2, tell of God's sovereignty and the authority He has conferred on His Anointed One (Jesus). God makes it clear: He is the authority, and He has anointed His chosen. Kings, rulers, judges, and everyone else must recognize both His sovereignty and His anointed.
Collins discovered how corporations can avoid an early decline by bringing wisdom to the equation. Likewise, everyone—both mighty and otherwise—would be wise to recognize God’s sovereignty over our lives.
Nothing in this life lasts forever. Even the mighty fall. A decline in position and power is part and parcel with living this life. And every human faces such declines. But how we navigate life, the quality of our experience as we ride its ups and downs, rests in our relationship with God.
And that does last forever.
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PHOTO: Adobe Express filtered through Photoshop Express
BONUS MATERIAL
* Shelley’s poem about Ozymandias, plus a funny rewrite by humorist Ogden Nash:
https://muddlet.wordpress.com/2018/01/07/ozymandias-ogdeniasis/
A very brief piece about the real Ozymandias (thought to be Ramses II of Exodus fame):
https://vahshatedil.wordpress.com/2010/03/24/ozymandias-…-two-versions-ii/
And for us armchair archaeologists, here’s a longer look at Moses and the Pharaohs:
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Join us Friday morning at 8:00 for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We meet on Zoom** and at Our Breakfast Place. We chew on some scripture and chow down on some great food.
Blessings,
Steve
** Zoom link (Zoom allows you to mute the camera and the microphone if you don’t wish to be seen or heard.)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89947678414
SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY AND THE COMING WEEK
Find them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts/?y=17134&z=e&d=23
Print them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/Ax_TransfigurationSunday.pdf
Exodus 24:12-18
Psalm 2 or Psalm 99
2 Peter 1:16-21
Matthew 17:1-9
Transfiguration Sunday (February 15, 2026)
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