Trophies

April 9, 2009

Today's Reading: Joshua 11-12 and Romans 12

In the Twelfth Chapter of the book of Joshua, the normally action-packed chapters take a breather as it lists out a group of kings who have one thing in common: they’ve all been smoked.

Yeah, it read like a grocery list of conquest. You would have to ask yourself why this section is here.

Do you even need to ask? Why does an athlete put his or her trophies on a shelf? I suppose it is a pride thing, and you have to ask whether God values the idea of being proud of our actions.

Well, when you serve a system that says that humanity is basically evil, there is nothing to be proud of. I mean, there really isn’t. Even those award shows like the Emmys or the Oscars or all the athletic awards in the world won’t gain access into heaven. Then again, that is true of any legitimate altruistic action. Yeah, Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.’s cool stuff didn’t do anything, afterlife wise.

Yeah, keeping trophies is not a good idea when the Bible warns us not to think ourselves any higher than we ought. I never did like talking to someone who brags. It’s like there is a challenge to “out-do” the next guy. It’s really pathetic, actually.

I always thought the Bible was pretty clear about not boasting. Man, it would be a totally stupid if Jesus boasted about his stuff. Can you imagine sitting around the table in heaven to find that Jesus was the guy who is saying: “Yeah, and then I was raised from the dead”.

This is a rule I live by: don’t ever say that you are the greatest, even if it is true. I suppose Ali probably was, but when it comes to being the greatest Christian, do you really want to enter that contest? It doesn’t mean anything if you win. It’s like trying to win a humility award. The more you think you are worthy of it, the less you are.

However, the things that God has done for us deserve to be celebrated. In all honesty, the best memories I have are the times when temptation has come up to me and I have said no. That, or when I do something completely unselfish.

Sometimes, it takes years to see the fruits of your labors. I’m sure it took years of losing money in his garage before Steve Jobs and Bill Gates became billionaires. I suppose that they could boast.

So yeah, don’t boast about nothing, but for those who make good choices and do Christ-like things, celebrate!