First?
The Bible says "Those who are first will be last and those who are last will be first". Growing up I found validation in winning, being first! I was very competitive, so when I first read this verse it puzzled me. It puzzled me for sometime....
Doesn't God want us to win? If that is true then why would he gift certain athletes? Why would those teams win? I struggled with this for sometime until I thought about me.... I played everything not to lose. I hated the way losing felt and I loved the way winning felt. The more I thought about it the more God was saying "that's why".
I think it isn't the winning God doesn't like it's the way we win. If you win and in the process of it your degrading people or pushing the envelope to do whatever it takes to win, then God isn't happy with our actions.
The last will be first? I think this means losing with grace.... Losing and actual being happy for the winner.
Apart from winning and losing I think this verse means so much more that what I think of winning and losing. I think it speaks directly into my personal desires. What I am thinking about when I do anything? Am I doing things for my glory or God's? Do I take the glory when things work out for me or am I giving the glory to God? If I am "first" in my thoughts then I will be last, but if I lose myself in God and glorify HIM with no thoughts of "what will this do for me". Well then I think I have accomplished what was meant in this verse. I think it is the building up of people and how we are listening to the gentle whispers of God, not what the world has to say about who the actual winner is.
God I want to glorify you when things go well. It is because of you that I have any ability to do anything.... God help me show my love for you and give all the glory to you for the gifts you have given me. I want to be first only for you. Amen.
Doesn't God want us to win? If that is true then why would he gift certain athletes? Why would those teams win? I struggled with this for sometime until I thought about me.... I played everything not to lose. I hated the way losing felt and I loved the way winning felt. The more I thought about it the more God was saying "that's why".
I think it isn't the winning God doesn't like it's the way we win. If you win and in the process of it your degrading people or pushing the envelope to do whatever it takes to win, then God isn't happy with our actions.
The last will be first? I think this means losing with grace.... Losing and actual being happy for the winner.
Apart from winning and losing I think this verse means so much more that what I think of winning and losing. I think it speaks directly into my personal desires. What I am thinking about when I do anything? Am I doing things for my glory or God's? Do I take the glory when things work out for me or am I giving the glory to God? If I am "first" in my thoughts then I will be last, but if I lose myself in God and glorify HIM with no thoughts of "what will this do for me". Well then I think I have accomplished what was meant in this verse. I think it is the building up of people and how we are listening to the gentle whispers of God, not what the world has to say about who the actual winner is.
God I want to glorify you when things go well. It is because of you that I have any ability to do anything.... God help me show my love for you and give all the glory to you for the gifts you have given me. I want to be first only for you. Amen.
posted by Andy Rainey at Thursday, July 28, 2005
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