Easter Devotional - Day 38
"Here is something else I have learned: the fastest runners and the greatest heroes don't always win races and battles. Wisdom, intelligence, and skill don't always make you healthy, rich, or popular. We each have our own share of bad luck. None of us know when we might fall victim to a sudden disaster and find ourselves like a fish in a net or birds in a trap." Ecclesiastes 9:11-12
This is not the message our society longs to hear. We are much more interested in the concept of the Olympic competition in which we assume the best competitor will win. Somehow we yearn to believe that the best musicians are those on the popular concert circuit, the best record labels, and the front pages headlines. Then we are surprised by the likes of Susan Boyles—an unknown, dowdy, spinster who astonished both judges and audience in the program, Britain's Got Talent.
A middle-aged unknown became an instant celebrity on television and the internet by reminding us that there are stars in unlikely places, hidden by the economic pressures of media, big business, marketing, and special interests. Those we see as the winners and stars in the spotlight suddenly seem no longer to be the greatest talents they are portrayed to be. They appear suddenly as the few with the lucky breaks in a world entertainment market dominated by few brands and special interests.
We follow the sporting achievements of favorite teams, only to find they are not necessarily the talent we want to believe, but the products of illegal performance enhancers or perhaps the targets of schemes to disqualify them in favor of others athletes or teams. We recognize that our mass market capitalism does not really allow for the best, brightest, and most talented to rise to the top. All too often, it is rather they most devious, scheming, and wily characters who rise to prominence in promotion of one or another special interests and the financial gain of a few.
We recognize the disparity between talent or skill and opportunity or marketing. We know that politics, intrigue, nepotism, and manipulation are all too often deciding factors in who wins the contests in the marketplace of business, education, and opportunity in life. Almost invariably, however, we ignore that knowledge, acting as though only the best, wisest, strongest, and brightest rise to positions of prominence.
Fortunately, God does not deal in the same categories. God is not duped or induced to accept the production of the market and its promotion of our slate of winners. God looks not at accomplishments in our market for pitting one against another for superiority. God looks rather at questions of character and our internal battles to become the people we were created to be. God looks to the evidence of lives given not to the pursuit of external rewards of publicity, wealth, and market sponsorship, but to grace, mercy, justice, and love.
The prize of public acclaim and contests do not always go to the very best. Perhaps we should say they very rarely do. Yet the real prize is also not to those with the characteristics we prize so highly. It is not for the greatest actors and performers, but for those with the greatest faithfulness and character to whom the real prize is given—the friendship and acclaim of God.
Run your race for the audience who truly matters—the only One worthy of being called Lord.
"Lord, help me live according to your definition of righteousness, not settling for appearances."
—©Copyright 2009 Christopher B. Harbin
http://www.sermonsearch.com/contributors/104427/
My latest books can be found here on amazon
This is not the message our society longs to hear. We are much more interested in the concept of the Olympic competition in which we assume the best competitor will win. Somehow we yearn to believe that the best musicians are those on the popular concert circuit, the best record labels, and the front pages headlines. Then we are surprised by the likes of Susan Boyles—an unknown, dowdy, spinster who astonished both judges and audience in the program, Britain's Got Talent.
A middle-aged unknown became an instant celebrity on television and the internet by reminding us that there are stars in unlikely places, hidden by the economic pressures of media, big business, marketing, and special interests. Those we see as the winners and stars in the spotlight suddenly seem no longer to be the greatest talents they are portrayed to be. They appear suddenly as the few with the lucky breaks in a world entertainment market dominated by few brands and special interests.
We follow the sporting achievements of favorite teams, only to find they are not necessarily the talent we want to believe, but the products of illegal performance enhancers or perhaps the targets of schemes to disqualify them in favor of others athletes or teams. We recognize that our mass market capitalism does not really allow for the best, brightest, and most talented to rise to the top. All too often, it is rather they most devious, scheming, and wily characters who rise to prominence in promotion of one or another special interests and the financial gain of a few.
We recognize the disparity between talent or skill and opportunity or marketing. We know that politics, intrigue, nepotism, and manipulation are all too often deciding factors in who wins the contests in the marketplace of business, education, and opportunity in life. Almost invariably, however, we ignore that knowledge, acting as though only the best, wisest, strongest, and brightest rise to positions of prominence.
Fortunately, God does not deal in the same categories. God is not duped or induced to accept the production of the market and its promotion of our slate of winners. God looks not at accomplishments in our market for pitting one against another for superiority. God looks rather at questions of character and our internal battles to become the people we were created to be. God looks to the evidence of lives given not to the pursuit of external rewards of publicity, wealth, and market sponsorship, but to grace, mercy, justice, and love.
The prize of public acclaim and contests do not always go to the very best. Perhaps we should say they very rarely do. Yet the real prize is also not to those with the characteristics we prize so highly. It is not for the greatest actors and performers, but for those with the greatest faithfulness and character to whom the real prize is given—the friendship and acclaim of God.
Run your race for the audience who truly matters—the only One worthy of being called Lord.
"Lord, help me live according to your definition of righteousness, not settling for appearances."
—©Copyright 2009 Christopher B. Harbin
http://www.sermonsearch.com/contributors/104427/
My latest books can be found here on amazon
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