When I was younger and dumber I loved to compete at sports. I had all the confidence that I could win at anything.
But as I have gotten older, I have become more aware of my limitations. I’m now middle aged and I might just lose intentionally to save face and to keep from having to sweat!
Honestly my pride is still very active even in losing intentionally, which takes serious mental gymnastics. BUT as I gain some maturity, I am beginning to view competition differently and have realized that I simply do not have anything to prove. More importantly, showing others that I am better than them is not attractive anymore. As if that were ever an admirable goal for an adult?!
BUT that logic does not track with everyone. In fact, it remains the opposite. That’s why competitive sports are such a huge money maker. We want to know who is best. And we make them our role models. One of the greatest competitors ever is Michael Jordan. He is not only the best basketball player ever, he is also a fierce gambler, golfer, and in his latter years an NBA and Nascar Team owner. What’s peculiar about MJ is that his drive to be the best has sometimes gotten the best of him. There are stories that reveal this issue; former Charlotte hornet players say that long after he retired, he use to show up practice and beat all of them. Demoralizing them. When Michael Jordan was accepted into the NBA Hall of Fame he gave his acceptance speech and he spent the majority of that time defending his own honor as a basketball player. He strangely seemed to target one specific individual that none of us had even heard of as if he was still trying to prove his dominance. I have to say that hearing this speech in real time was hard. And disappointing. Is THIS what it means to be the G.O.A.T.?
So let me say something harsh to get to my point here… I would argue Michael Jordan has not grown up. Furthermore, our idolatry of him has damaged our culture’s maturity. Michael Jordan is the worst…. role model.
What I’ve experienced in the world of faith has a similar competitive nature. There’s a market for the best teachers who we endorse and idolize. We work to get the most fans, open the most buildings, have the most services, and sell the most books.
BUT is this the way of Jesus?!
…
Jesus denied the fanfare. He brought up hard truths when too many people were following him (John 6). When some people said they wanted to follow him, he sent them away and sent them elsewhere (Luke 8). Jesus was a loser in the eyes of this world. He was murdered in the worst possible way. His teaching did not have a lot of immediate effect. Jesus said, “You do not realize what I am doing, but later you will understand. (John 13)” Jesus was not concerned with what man thought of him (John 2). Jesus was doing what the Father wanted Him to do. He was helping to initiate an everlasting Kingdom. One that He was not going to see come to fruition in His earthly lifetime. His way was different and He instructed us VERY SPECIFIALLY to follow Him in His way.
But somehow, we have gotten off course. We have a pandemic of people using Christ’s likeness without His spirit and NOT in His way. People have misunderstood the faith to be primarily about mastery and one-upmanship. There’s so much nauseating show-offs associated with Christianity that those who walk like Jesus go unnoticed and ill-fitting in the organization Jesus would like to and should most readily operate through.
Oh, that we would return to investing ourselves so wholeheartedly that our goals would be more with God’s will and not our welfare.
The way of Christ is humility, humiliation, a cross, and one day a resurrection. Full stop.
There is no promise of fandom, fame, and wealth. In fact EXACTLY the opposite (Luke 6:20-26).
“In this world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world. “ – Jesus in John 16:33.
See the thing is there is a Savior who knew we needed Him. We needed Him in a way that only His death would be able to provide, so that He could send His Spirt. He is our reward. Our inheritance. There is no greater wealth than having Him. There’s no better feeling than knowing him. There is no better gold medal, Vince Lombardi, Larry O’Brien, Stanley Cup, Heisman, than the reward of knowing Him. Jesus is the reward! And He is available to all who would accept Him and choose to follow His ways.
Taste and see… Psalm 34:8
Ancient Paths in a Modern World 
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