Monday, October 19, 2009

A win is a win, right?

A win is a win is a win….right? Or so the Minnesota Vikings say about their nail biting game on Sunday. One missed 44 yard field goal in the last seconds of the game and a Brett Farve who couldn’t even watch ended up gleeful as the Viking won 33-31.




A win is a win—right? I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to live in a society rooted at what it means to “win”-- you know a society based upon competition. You know the phrases:

• “I won—you lost!”
• “We’re winners—you’re losers!”
• “I’m right—you’re wrong!”
• “We’re stronger—you’re weaker!”
• “The bible says this—the bible says that!”
• “I’m really saved—you’re not!”

A win is a win—right? But at whose cost?

All of a sudden a sense of superiority takes hold and good fun turns ugly and someone ends up getting hurt. Ok—I am not bashing sports or good healthy competition but I do wonder how this pervasive message is playing out in life around us.

So let’s just talk:

  •  How is this culture of winning influencing our lives?
  • What does this say about our culture?
  • What does this say about our churches?
  • And does God have anything to do with this anyways?
As always I look forward to hearing what you have to say. The older I get the less interested in winning I become and am more interested in playing the game. So let’s just talk!
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2 comments:

  1. SPOctober 21, 2009 at 10:13 AM

    Our culture of competition and needing to win influences our lives in ways both good and bad. It drives us to win over death causing illnesses by finding their cure, or in going to war to defeat an evil force extorting its toll on innocents. Unfortunately though, it seems more often in the game of life our culture tends to be more intent on winning at temporary worldly pleasures. It becomes the job of our churches to cultivate an active culture of worship which leads people to the realization "that without God, there is no truth or meaning to life" (Book of Ecclesiastes). And yes, some of the Nebraska Huskers football players who ascribe to Colossians 3:23-24 would say God has everything to do with going out to play the game to win: 23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

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  2. AnonymousOctober 23, 2009 at 9:56 PM

    Yes, I think I hear SP saying that it's all about the motivation. What motivates you to win? To bring glory to God or yourself? The runner in Chariots of Fire appeared to the world to be in it for himself but his true motivation was to bring glory to God, whether anyone knew it or not. As for speaking the truth of God, it's not about doing it to "be right", it's to speak the truth of God with no apology. If it's with the intent to win an arguement it had better be with the motivation to give God the glory, not self.

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