Monday, August 27, 2018

August 27, 2018 - Glory Hound vs Glory Giver (Why we should seek the spotlight)


When the game is on the line… give me the ball!!! Certain players have a mindset that loves to be in the pressure situations of meeting the team’s need… I was a guy that wanted to take the free throws with no time on the clock to try to win the game… I was not a great free throw shooter, but I was always shocked if I missed… and I never stopped wanting to be the one to take the shot!



I often find myself trying to mentor my own kids, and others, in what it means to be a difference maker… to be the one that doesn’t wait to be asked to meet a need… but instead will “see the need… fill the need!” Lately I have talked a lot about a new part of our ministry called Next Man Up; and last night I watched as two high school girls, a couple men in the 30’s (that are as different as night and day), and a guy in his 60’s took the stage together to lead in worship…



Basically, each of these individuals saw a team need and an opportunity to plug in an Make A Difference… it was a beautiful picture of what the church should be and how we should be functioning.



These are not new ideas to the weekly devotions I post, but they do set the stage for some things that jumped out at me yesterday in a major way… things I was able to share with those I am mentoring/coaching:



Back to the idea of the first point… wanting the ball. Some would say it was because I was a “glory hound” and just wanted to get attention on myself. As an old man now, I am not going to discount the pride I had as a young man, so I am sure there was a part of me seeking glory; but the reality is that during a game I never stopped to think about what the crowd wanted but instead what the team needed and I had confidence that I was the one that could fill that need.



Romans 12:6 reminds us that we each have different gifts and gives a command, “USE THEM!” I never expected someone that couldn’t shoot free throws to want the ball at the end of the game… or even a good free throw shooter that didn’t like pressure… Last night I didn’t expect a guy that couldn’t play bass to step in and play… but that 63 yr old could do it beautifully!



So, point one is to not shy away from the spotlight but always just be willing to fill the need!



Yet, there is still the issue of the “spotlight.” In our teaching on humility we always hear that we should avoid the spotlight in order to be humble… yet I understand that those we are trying to minister to are drawn to the spotlight… a spotlight is meant to gain attention…



A singer that is in the midst of the crowd without a spotlight leaves people more focused on where the sound is coming from than what the sound is about…



In Matthew 5:16 Jesus tells us to make sure our “light shines before me that they may see you.”



In 1 Peter 2:12 Peter reminds us to make sure our good works are seen…



I understand the teaching on humility and I’ll get to that; but bottom line is that we should live (and perform) in such a way that the we get in the spotlight!



And now for the humility part… WE DON’T GET IN THE SPOTLIGHT IN ORDER TO SOAK IT IN BUT INSTEAD TO DEFLECT IT TO JESUS! (When we soak it end it causes the head to swell…)



Humility will result from having great teammates and mentors that remind us why we are there… to not be a glory hound but instead a glory giver!!!



So, I am going to remind us to “want the ball at crunch time… get in every spotlight we can… and to then deflect all glory unto Jesus!!!”

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