First part 1
Man, we think winning is important! We even say things like, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." We have built a culture and a society on coming in first. Being the biggest, strongest, fastest. And I want to say right off the bat that there is nothing wrong with trying to be the best you can be. I don't like the idea of "everybody's a winner" when it comes to sports, and things of that nature. In it's time and place, competition is important. There is a lot that can be learned from competition. The value of teamwork, the value of practice. To name a few. Off the top of my head. But here's where it gets real--if we're not competing in a sport... and in order for me to win, you have to lose... I don't really feel like that's super great. Especially when you see Jesus teaching things like, "When you are invited to a wedding feast, don't sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, 'Give this person your seat.' Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, 'Friend, we have a better place for you!' Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted" (Luke 14:8-11 NLT). Practical advice, sure, but also Spiritual advice. Don't try to make yourself look important. Don't toot your own horn. Actions speak louder than words, so let your actions speak for themselves. I rarely tell people that I'm a pastor, unless it somehow comes up. Not because I'm trying to hide it, but simply because I'd rather them just know ME than have some preconceived notion of who I'm "supposed" to be. I'd rather they know I'm nice than know I'm a "Christian." I'm not trying to exalt myself. I don't think being a pastor makes me better than anybody else, anyway. Mostly what it means is that I can marry people and bury people. But people look at you differently when they "know things" about you. Better, in my opinion, to let them know who I am than what (if any) titles I might have. My favorite titles are "Dad" and "husband" and "brother" and "son" anyway. Honest. Reliable. Things of that nature. So what I'm trying to say is... there's a idea in this world that if you ain't first, you're last. But I say, "Do we really need to be racing?" Remember the whole Rant series I did about walking in love? Walking hand in hand? Not trying to lap people, but maybe slowing down so they can keep up. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. We're all in this together. So stop looking at is as "Me vs You." Stop looking at everything as something that must be won so as not to be lost. If your goal is to always win at everything no matter what... you probably aren't going to make a whole lot of friends along the way. Because you'll be too busy trying to beat them. And, to me, that's no way to live. What's that old saying? "It's better to be kind than to be right." You don't always have to get the last word in. You don't always have to have the "right" thing to say to put someone in their place. Sometimes it's better to just be peaceful. Blessed are the peacemakers, right? Those who are first will be last and those who are last will be first, right? If you exalt yourself you WILL be humbled. But if you humble yourself and you just might be exalted.