When I was playing basketball, our goal each time we stepped on the floor against another team was to win. When we played in tournaments, we wanted to be the champions. And we wanted to win the conference. We wanted to win the district. And so on. Our goal was to be a champion. When I was coaching, it was the same thing each time we stepped on the floor against another team. There’s nothing wrong with those goals. They are what drove us to work together. To put in the work. They helped us keep focused. And there are a lot of lessons that people can learn being part of a team like that. But we must learn to keep things in perspective. Keep our priorities in check. What do I mean by that?
We live in a world of titles. Manager. Director. Boss. Owner. First place. Second place. Third place. Champions! Etc. Is easy to find self-worth with titles. With labels. It’s easy for us to let what we accomplish define us. People recognize titles. How often have you heard somebody say they want to talk to the manager? Or I want to talk to the owner. That’s because they recognize who is in charge. Once again, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the titles. People work hard to achieve those. They work hard to earn those. Effort should be rewarded. But the danger lies in where we place our self worth.
I’m not sure that God loves us for our titles. I’m not sure he loves us for our accomplishments. I believe that God just loves us. And since that is the case, this is where we should place our worth. In God‘s love. In Christ. Another reason why we should do this is because if we do not achieve a goal, then Satan can use that against us. He can use self-doubt against us. He can use “failing” against us. He can make us feel unworthy. There is a ton of learning in failing at a task. But that doesn’t make us a failure. It’s a lesson that way can use to work towards our goals. To build on. So let’s try to remember this. God loves us. Not for our accomplishments. Just because he does. So let’s put our worth in God. And let’s be thankful for him in our accomplishments. Our championships. Let’s keep our priorities and our focus on God. Let’s know and believe the one true “title” that matters is servant of God.
