Bay area basketball fans are having a great time right now. The Golden State Warriors are the current winningest team of this season. As I write they just secured their 40th win, with only four losses. And in the middle of it all is reigning MVP Stephen Curry. He’s a believer in Jesus, and he makes sure to acknowledge the Lord every time he makes a shot. Most people recognize his double chest thump followed by his pointing skyward. We celebrate the winners. And I’m happy to join in the celebration.
Yet I’ve been thinking about how many times we may carelessly equate winning a sports event as a sign of God’s blessing on faithful followers. Super Bowl 50 is almost upon us. Diehard fans of the competing teams may be praying hard that their team would win. We want to celebrate God’s favor—and by this we mean his making things go our way.
But what about when we lose? Last year, the Green Bay Packers lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC championship. They lost their chance to play at the Super Bowl. Packers quarterback Aaron Rogers was asked whether the loss shook his faith. His answer: “I don’t think God cares a whole lot about the outcome. He cares about the people involved, but I don’t think he’s a big football fan.”
It really does not make much sense for Christians to pray for their favorite team or athlete to win a match, and somehow expect favorable results to be a sign of God’s favor. Think about this: for every Christian praying for her or his team to win, it is likely there is another Christian praying for the opposing team. So, whose prayer will God answer? Besides, there may be believers on each side of the competing teams. Will it be a contest about who has more faith?
I think Aaron Rogers has the right perspective. God “cares about the people involved.” And I believe that same perspective is well worth adopting in any kind of endeavor—in sports, in politics, in careers, in Christian ministries. The world measures success only in terms of achievement and accolades. Rarely do we see value in what kind of persons the people become, or what happens to them in the process. We demand excellence in and celebrate performance, but we ignore character.
When a church celebrates its anniversary, we may showcase the talents and abilities of members, or highlight our achievements. We may get caught up in putting together an unforgettable celebration, and in the process forget what it should be about. What really matters is what God has been doing in our lives, what we are becoming in Christ. This is what we celebrate; this is what we pass on to the generations that follow (Psalm 78.1-7).
—Keith Y. Jainga