"I jump into a sand pit for a living"
God’s values
He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight”. Luke 16:15Isn’t it strange the way you have read the Bible for years and then something new just jumps out at you! I can never remember reading this verse before! It is the last sentence that really struck me, underlining the difference between God’s standards and ours.
What are society’s values: achievement, fame, celebrity, money, possessions and so on. What are God’s: love, joy, peace, humility, kindness etc
Of course in elite sport fame, celebrity, money and possessions come with the territory. That is not wrong. The challenge is our attitude and our values. When it becomes all about me, when I am never satisfied with what I have, when I seek things that will not last, then there is a problem.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to win and enjoying the fruits of success. The problem comes when completing is less about using the gifts God has given us for his glory and as an act of worship and more about winning for our own glory, fame and fortune.
Jesus’ words: “What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight” is a real challenge to us.