In case you
were wondering where was yesterday’s post, there wasn’t one. Thursdays are my
family day/date night and even though my default mode is to keep working, I
really have to make an effort to not do any work. My wife will be sure to tell
you that I’m still working on detaching myself totally. lol
Anyways,
this week the two biggest stories that I kept hearing about through Facebook
and ESPN was Lance Armstrong’s admitting to taking performance enhancing drugs
(PED’s) and the story of Manti Te'o’s imaginary girlfriend. In
case you missed it, Lance Armstrong, a famous American cyclist and cancer
survivor, won every single Tour de France from 1999-2005. For years, he had
denied accusations that he had been taking PED’s. He lied to the American public
and made them believe that what drove him forward was his dedication, hard work,
and unwillingness to give up in the face of opposition. What a story!
Unfortunately,
it was a lie. He in fact, did take PED’s and now his reputation and credibility
are down the tubes.
I
find Manti Te'o’s story equally incredible. He was the face of the Notre Dame Fighting
Irish football team and runner up for the prestigious Heisman Trophy. His
football team lost to Alabama in the nation championship game. What was amazing
about this kid was his story to the media that what drove him to be a better
athlete was the sudden death of his girlfriend who had leukemia.
Unfortunately,
it was also a lie. His girlfriend not only didn’t die, she never existed! Now
some are wondering if this was a hoax perpetrated against the Notre Dame
linebacker or if he was part of the deception as well.
Now, I’m not
going to say that these men are not at fault, but it’s pretty sad that at how
everyone is bashing them for portraying an image that was misleading when
people do it every day on Facebook. (I mean, let’s be real; most people don’t
post pictures when they look busted and just woke up. You put the best picture
to give others the impression that you’ve got your act together, right?) I’m
sure that if the news media were to do an investigation on you, they’d probably
find a few skeletons in your closet too.
What was
lacking in these men was the last point that we need in order to reach our
goals. To reach our goals, we must have
a sure foundation.
If you ask
the apostle Paul what was his foundation, he could give you a pretty clear
answer. We find this in the 2nd half of Philippians 3:14:
14B the upward
call of God in Christ Jesus.
For Paul,
his desire, goals and future focus were grounded on the fact that he wanted to
live to be like his Lord. As we saw earlier this week, he said that even though
I’m not perfect, I strive to be the closest thing to perfect even though I know
that I fall incredibly short of what I’m supposed to be. Now, for you
theologians out there, he is not abandoning justification by faith; he is not
denying that salvation is free. It is in fact because both our salvation and our
sanctification have been perfectly and fully accomplished by Christ that we too
can be saved by responding in faith without works, and sanctified by responding
in faithful obedience.
The
confidence that we can also have in moving forward is the same as Paul’s. It
goes back to Paul’s preliminary statement in chapter 3 verse 12.
12 Not that I have already obtained this or am
already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has
made me his own.
As you go forward in life and your story unfolds, people will ask
you, “What is the secret to your success?” Lance Armstrong said his success was
“hard work.” Manti Te’o said it was “motivation from his deceased girlfriend.”
Both of these foundations were built on sand made from their own hands. Paul would say that his foundation was trying to live honestly, openly and humbly like his Lord. If
there ever was a time to be reminded of what a good foundation looks like, it
is today.
“Therefore everyone
who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man
who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the
winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its
foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not
put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The
rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that
house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27
As people there is a danger in relying on the greatness of our
story, our accomplishments or the hope of human glory. As a church, there is
danger on relying on the greatness on our money, outreach methods and theology.
If you hope to reach your goals using these things a foundation, you’ll be disappointed
once you realize that someone has a better story, or the fact that, once we
die, people will forget all about your money or your greatness. These
foundations are not good ones in and of themselves. Whatever may have been your
experience in the past, it’s not too late to begin to rebuild starting today
towards a brighter future. Why not start today?
So as you think about your own life, I’d like to finish with the
words of F.B. Meyer.
“It
is a mistake to be always turning back to recover the past. The law of
Christian living is not backward, but forward; not for experiences that lie
behind, but for doing the will of God, which is always ahead and calling us to
follow. Leave the things that are behind, and reach forward to those that are
before us, for in each new height to which we attain, there are the appropriate
joys that befit the new experience. Don’t fret because life’s joys are fled.
There I more in front. Look up, press forward, the best is yet to be!”