This new season -2023- brings about our new theme of G.O.A.T. Status... we will be emphasizing how Jesus defines greatness. Yet we will also be keying on the coaching/mentoring focus God has given us in not only Equipping, but also Engaging those we work with in ministry. Today I had a lot of things going on... I was fatigued from pulling a 22-hour day yesterday of travel and preaching, and then got hit with an emergency here on the home front that required my attention... leaving rolling in late tonight for posting this week's devo. BUT InBounds has been blessed over the past 15 years with great coaches; one of which is Thomas "THendy" Henderson. Thomas heard how my day was unfolding and stepped up to the plate and hit a home run... Check out this week's great game plan!
This past Sunday, Coach Todd preached a message at a church that focused on how greatness is defined in our culture. When you talk to people in the sports world, they will often refer to their favorite player as the G.O.A.T. (The Greatest of All Time). One of the biggest debates in basketball is comparing Michael Jordan to Lebron James and how their skill sets match up against each other to determine the G.O.A.T of the NBA. As a disclaimer, I am NOT a basketball guru, so I will not dare to put in my two cents on which player is “better” regarding their skills and achievements! I think both men are worthy based on what they have to offer to the game of basketball, but I think there is something that we can learn from this matter...
It’s our human nature to compare our worth to other people to see how we measure up in terms of greatness. As a musician, I always catch myself being envious of other guitar or keyboard playing wishing that I was just as good as them. If you’re a fitness enthusiast, you may compare your athleticism and body composition to someone you may follow online to see how you measure up to a complete stranger. If you’re like me, sometimes we see our best as not good enough when we compare it to what we deem to be the “gold standard.”
We are certainly no different than the disciples! In Luke 22, they argued with each other about who they considered the greatest among themselves. Jesus (The Great Teacher) was quick to correct them by saying “the one who is the greatest among you must be like the youngest [and least privileged], and the [one who is the] leader, like the servant” (Luke 22:26 AMP).
If anyone in that room had the right to boast, it was the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
When we read the Scripture, Jesus demonstrated his greatness by becoming like a servant. He had every right to pull out his heavenly trophies and golden crown to prove he was the G.O.A.T.!
However, Jesus took off his outer garment, wrapped a towel around his waist, kneeled down, and washed his disciples’ feet. Christ’s ministry was focused on serving others. Most Importantly, He demonstrated the ultimate act of servanthood by taking the curse of sin off of us and putting it upon Himself:
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:21 NIV)
If we ever had to prove our greatness to God through our own efforts, then we would be in big trouble! There is no good work or deed that we can do on our own to find favor with God.
But thank God that Christ gave us HIS greatness (his righteousness) so that we can stand before our Heavenly Father being forgiven of all sins and adopted as children into His kingdom! All we have to do is believe and trust in who Jesus is and what He has done for us!
Out of gratitude for His grace, how should we, as believers, respond to the G.O.A.T for the salvation we have received? I think the Apostle Paul has a great answer for this in his letter to the Philippians:
“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:5-11 NASB)
When we take the focus off of ourselves and point others to the greatness of Jesus, then God is truly honored and glorified! As believers, let us strive to do WORTHY WORK for the kingdom of God!
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