March 2021
Last week Serena Williams lost to Naomi Osaka in the semifinals of the Australia Open. In and of itself, this is not extraordinary news. Simply noting the ages of the players – Osaka, 23 and Williams, 39 – Osaka was favored for the win. Yet, Williams is tough and an amazing athlete by all standards - why let a thing like age get in the way of a win? Here’s what is extraordinary – Williams lost and summed up the competition in this way, “It was a big error day for me today.”
Wow! I can’t remember the last time I heard such honesty and unabashed humility. Serena’s candid response, “It was a big error day for me today” deserves a HUGE round of applause. Thank you Serena. Thank you for your honesty. Thank you for your gentleness. Thank you for your self-control. Thank you for doing what we should be doing every moment of every day - accurately and humbly assessing, while taking responsibility for, our actions, thoughts, and words. Serena did not blame, complain, or avoid reality, she told it like it was. She had a rough day on the tennis court. Serena’s humble words make her a champion in my book.
Here in Arizona, the nice weather allows for small outdoor gatherings and a little normalcy. While it feels good to be out and engaging with others, it seems like people are cranky. Rather than being grateful and delighting in friendships and community, I sense pent-up bitterness and hostility. Do you think we are still simmering over the toilet paper hoarding from last year?
Where is the joy? What happened to living life in harmony with others? Did we become ungrateful creatures during COVID? Has pride and selfishness gone untethered for too many months?
I get it. It isn’t natural to think of others first, to be kind, to show mercy or gentleness. The goal of the world is self-fulfillment, self-glory, self-satisfaction, and all that other “self” stuff. The flesh – us in our human state- is at war with God. We can’t serve two masters. We are either serving ourselves or we are serving God. Several years ago Tom did a powerful lesson from the book of James on this entitled, “Warning against Worldliness”.
If we are honest, we try to serve ourselves first and then ask God to assist us with our plans. I know I do this. I know my heart and motives are selfish, and I also know when I turn to God and ask Him to help me see clearly, He does. Studying His word, walking with Him, and seeking Him gets me back to where I should be, in right relationship with Him, serving and glorifying Him.
Yep. We need Jesus. He gives us the power to be kind, patient, and loving to others when we don’t think we can. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
What if, in preparation for Easter, we spend the next few weeks asking God to:
help us put aside our pride and selfishness and turn to Him, seeking His motives, instead of our own?
show us the darkness in our own hearts, help us repent, turning from sin to Him and His kingdom?
give us the ability to be more loving, kind and to display the fruit of the Spirit in ALL we do?
Just think of the joy you’ll bring to those around you!
“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (Psalm 133.1)