We Can't All Be Number 1

I never really played sports, but my brothers did. One thing stood out to me in my years at the baseball, football, and occasional soccer fields: someone always wins. While this is slowly becoming less likely in the world of childhood sports, when I was growing up there was a first place and a second place. And that was a good thing.

This idea of making everyone a winner translates into a variety of fields, including academics. Grade inflation is a problem. Young people are going to college and finding it increasingly difficult to make it in the corporate world because let's face it, your professors and bosses are not going to give you high marks and a promotion just for being you.

While not all of us fall into this category of feeling entitled to greatness all of the time, we all probably struggle with feeling like we aren't doing enough. We see people with flashy careers, booming ministries, and large platforms and we quietly wonder if our life has any real significance in the grand scheme of things. Can we really be glorifying God when we just go to our mundane job every day or are cleaning up after messy toddlers? Absolutely. In fact, I think that we would do well to encourage people in these pursuits more because the reality is that most of us will live in this mundane world for the majority of our lives. And God is very much glorified with our faithful living in the ordinary.

I expound on this idea in an article for Her.meneutics that went up yesterday. I tie in the fact that our worth and value is not tied to our accomplishments but in our identity as image bearers of our creator. We are special because God is infinitely special. Every job he has given us, every sphere of influence we find ourselves in, is an opportunity to glorify him as the giver of all good gifts.

If you are struggling with the ordinary nature of your life, I hope this article will be an encouragement to you to remain faithful in the task that God has called you to. An ordinary life is not a wasted life when Christ is your supreme treasure and your work is done for his glory.

Read the article here.