“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this:
that they have the understanding to know Me…” — Jeremiah 9:23–24
INTRODUCTION: WHEN SUCCESS ISN’T ENOUGH
I used to think success would fix everything.
Especially in real estate.
I thought that if I just worked harder, out-hustled, out-strategized, out-market-tested, and out-served, everything would eventually fall into place—financial stability, peace of mind, confidence as a provider for my family.
And honestly… there was a month that validated that idea.
I made over $30,000 in one month.
Closed multiple deals.
Everything clicked.
And I remember thinking:
“Finally. I did it. I figured out the formula. I can do this.”
Though I didn’t say it out loud, a subtle pride began whispering:
“Look what you accomplished.”
But the Lord is merciful.
Because the next season shattered that illusion.
Deals collapsed.
Sellers made irrational decisions.
Unexpected problems surfaced.
And suddenly the income evaporated.
It wasn’t gradual.
It was immediate.
I did the exact same level of work, poured in the same hours, and met the same expectations…
but the results were drastically different.
No closings.
No income.
Stress mounting.
And that’s when I began to feel the helplessness Jeremiah expresses in chapter 9.
WHEN GOD STRIPS AWAY WHAT YOU BOAST IN
God used that successful month to expose my heart.
I didn’t go drinking, partying, or bragging on social media…
but I did begin to put a little bit of my worth—my identity—into the outcome of my performance.
When people asked, “How’s the business going?”
And when I could answer, “Great—closed multiple deals this month,”
it felt good.
Not sinful on the surface.
But in my heart?
My confidence began shifting from who God is
to what I could accomplish.
And then…
God humbled me.
Not as punishment,
but as protection.
He removed the illusion of control—not to hurt me,
but to save me from tying my identity to my performance.
I don’t get angry when deals fall apart.
I get helpless.
There’s a deep ache of:
“Lord… why did You put me in this position?
Why allow me to start a brokerage… with liability… with responsibility…
and then hold back the closings?”
I don’t have the luxury of an hourly wage.
I don’t get paid until the end—
and sometimes, the end never comes.
Sometimes I work 60 hours on a file that evaporates overnight.
No pay.
No thanks.
No closure.
I know what helplessness feels like.
And that’s why Jeremiah’s words pierce me:
“Let not the wise boast…”
“Let not the strong boast…”
“Let not the rich boast…”
Because I boasted without realizing it.
Not outwardly.
But inwardly.
I leaned on:
- my own strength,
- my strategies,
- my ability,
- my knowledge,
- my work ethic.
And the Lord, gently… lovingly… stripped it away.
Not because He wanted to reduce me.
But because He wanted to realign me.
THE MOLD INCIDENT: WHEN THINGS GET WORSE INSTEAD OF BETTER
Recently, a property under contract had what appeared to be a minor issue:
A little moisture.
Nothing serious.
We pulled baseboards.
Then discovered more damage.
Cut drywall.
Found mold behind the vanity.
Buyers panicked.
Sellers panicked.
My phone lit up like a horror movie soundtrack.
What was “simple” became complicated.
What was manageable became overwhelming.
Even though I handled it with integrity,
did everything right,
poured my heart into communication,
made myself available…
It still spiraled.
And I thought:
“I am doing everything I can, and it still isn’t working.”
If that doesn’t summarize Jeremiah 9, I don’t know what does.
“They refuse to listen… they will not receive correction.”
(Jeremiah 9:6)
Jeremiah watched a nation collapse,
not because of lack of strategy,
but because of lack of surrender.
He wept because nobody listened.
And I feel a fraction of that in real estate,
in parenting,
in ministry.
Because I pour myself into people — clients, agents, even my children —
and sometimes they still don’t listen.
I tell my sons,
“If you go to bed earlier, you won’t feel rushed and angry in the morning.”
They ignore me.
Then morning chaos hits.
Then they get frustrated.
And I see myself in them.
God whispers to me:
“You do the same thing with Me.”
SUCCESS DOESN’T MEAN YOU KNOW GOD
Jeremiah 9 is one of the most confrontational chapters in Scripture.
God isn’t addressing pagans.
He’s addressing His people.
They knew about God.
They just didn’t know Him.
They performed rituals,
offered sacrifices,
followed traditions,
lived morally…
But God said:
“They refuse to know Me.”
(Jeremiah 9:6)
He didn’t say:
- they refuse to go to church,
- they refuse to pray,
- they refuse to sacrifice.
He said:
“They refuse to know Me.”
They were busy doing things for God,
but never actually wanting God Himself.
And that hit me like a freight train.
Was I unknowingly treating God the same way?
- “God, bless my marketing strategy.”
- “God, bless my new listing.”
- “God, bless this deal.”
And if I’m honest…
Many times I have asked God to bless my plans
instead of surrendering to His presence.
WHAT I LEARNED IN THE WILDERNESS SEASON
When closings disappeared,
when deals collapsed,
when I had nothing left to boast in…
I found something I didn’t expect:
Relief.
Because I no longer needed to perform.
I no longer needed to achieve.
I no longer needed to prove myself.
Lack wasn’t punishment.
It was invitation.
God was saying:
“Chad, you’ve been boasting in the wrong thing.”
Not verbally…
but emotionally.
I was boasting in:
- My wisdom → “I can strategize this.”
- My strength → “I can hustle through this.”
- My riches → “I can solve this by performing.”
And God said:
“Stop boasting in what you can do.
Start boasting in who I AM.”
KNOWING GOD IS BETTER THAN HAVING CONTROL
Here’s why Jeremiah 9 changes everything:
“Let the one who boasts boast in this:
that they have the understanding to know Me…”
(Jeremiah 9:24)
Knowing God is better than:
- being successful,
- being respected,
- being secure,
- being financially stable,
- being admired.
Because knowing God is the only thing that remains when everything else collapses.
I don’t have a boss above me.
I am the broker.
I am the owner.
I am the head.
I am the decision-maker.
That feels isolating.
I don’t have anyone above me
to carry the pressure,
to tell me “good job,”
to reassure me things will be okay.
Except God.
Knowing God means:
“I can go to Him for anything — no matter how difficult.
He is my Father, my comfort, my stability, my rest.”
WHEN GOD IS THE ONLY ONE ABOVE YOU
As a father,
as a business owner,
as a provider…
It’s lonely at the top.
There is no safety net.
No supervisor.
No paycheck assurance.
And in those moments of fear,
God becomes real in a way success never could.
He becomes the one voice higher than mine,
the one authority above me,
the one comfort greater than my circumstances.
Knowing Him becomes more than theology.
It becomes survival.
IF GOD NEVER GAVE ME ANOTHER $30K MONTH…
If God never gave me another month of massive closings,
but instead gave me deeper intimacy with Him,
that would be enough.
I don’t want wealth to prove something.
I just want enough to:
- provide for my family,
- cover our needs,
- sleep without fear.
I don’t care about Rolexes.
I care about survival and stewardship.
And I’ve learned that I would rather struggle with God
than succeed without Him.
MY PRAYER FOR YOU (FROM MY HEART)
Lord,
show them Your presence is better than their performance.
Help them not define their success by results.
Even when they don’t see progress,
You are working in them
and changing them daily.
Amen.
CALL TO ACTION: ASK YOURSELF
- Am I boasting in what I can accomplish… or in who God is?
- Do I find my worth in productivity, or in intimacy with Jesus?
- What would I do differently if I believed God—not success—is the source of peace?
CONCLUSION: WHEN ALL YOU HAVE IS GOD, YOU REALIZE HE IS ALL YOU NEED
Real estate used to be my identity.
Now, it’s just my assignment.
Knowing God is my identity.
And if God strips success away from me again,
or if closings disappear for another season,
or if all I have is Him…
Then I will still boast—
Not in wisdom,
Not in strength,
Not in wealth,
But in knowing Him.
Because knowing God is better than controlling outcomes.
Knowing God is better than success.
Knowing God is everything.
Conform to Jesus 
Thank God He remains faithful and consistent in the moi rain top and in the valleys.
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