The Winter
Olympics are in full swing, and I do not appreciate them nearly as much as they
deserve. The athletes participating in the games must train and practice every
bit as hard as those involved in the track and field events of the Summer
Olympics which I tend to enjoy more. Like many others I suppose I have my
preference.
What all the
games have in common are individuals and groups striving to be number one, the
best in their event. As I said in an earlier blog, the games are designed to
have winners and losers. Only when it is a competition involving a group such
as basketball or hockey, is there more than one winner. Only then can someone
say, “We Won!”
We cheer on
our favorite teams or individuals and celebrate with them their victories and suffer
with them in defeat. We take some solace when our picks do not win, but those
who do win do so in humility and with a willingness to share the accolades with
those who helped them reach the pinnacle of public admiration.
In going
through our English classes we learned rules of capitalization. Among these
were the first words of sentences and all proper names. In thinking about who gets
attention and who deserves it, I have always found it interesting there is one
word in the English language that is not a proper name but is always
capitalized regardless of its position in a sentence. That is the personal
pronoun “I”.
Is this
aspect of the English language emblematic of our personal narcissism? Is this a
subtle way we can always make ourselves winners, come out on top, or be seen as
first? There is a lot of backslapping and handshaking when the team wins. When
an athlete stands alone and is given the gold medal acknowledging a first place
finish, the capital “I” is often glaringly visible.
How this
plays out in life on a daily basis away from the courts, tracks, and fields
reflects greatly upon our attitude toward ourselves and others. When we win, we
want to show our pride in our accomplishment. When we lose, we want the winner
to be extra humble and not make our loss any more painful due to their boastful
pride. Winning and losing can be just as real in daily relationships and
reaching personal goals as in any sporting event. And the attitudes can be just
as right or wrong.
The Apostle
Paul felt the issue of pride in relationships was important enough to address
it at three points in the sixteenth chapter of Romans. In verse three he
writes, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think
of yourself with sober judgment…” In verse ten he continues, “Honor one another
above yourselves.” Finally in verse 16, “Do not be proud, but be willing to
associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”
The team
wins when each member puts the goals of the team ahead of any goals for
personal recognition. Humility says we put the best interest of others ahead of
our own. It means we limit the use of the capital “I”.
How do we
keep the “I” from controlling our lives? Think about these possibilities:
1.
Put your
personal desires second to the best interest of others (Luke 10:25-37)
2.
Be willing
to forgive others even when they are not willing to confess their own
wrongdoing (Luke 23:33-35; Acts 7:54-60; II Timothy 4:9-18)
3.
Seek to be a
servant for the sake of others (Matthew 25:31-46)
4.
Love others
as Christ has loved you (John 13:34-35)
When we put
others first, we live out the spirit of Christ who said, “I have not come to be
served, but to serve…” (Mark 10:45; Luke 22:24-27)
