A couple weekends ago I was in an Over-50 Softball tournament in Missoula. It was a decent day. Not particularly warm by any stretch of the imagination. I would guess that the temperature was in the mid-60's. And sunny.
After the noon break, we were getting ready to play our next game at 1:30 PM. Players from both teams started assembling - stretching, throwing, etc. Prior to the start of our game a player from the other team walked out to home plate where he was talking with someone. I wouldn’t have noticed this player at all except for one, small detail. He had no shirt on. None. That is what caught my eye. He was the only guy that I saw all day with his shirt off. Now, as you might imagine, there was a reason why this guy was shirtless. He was fairly buff. No 6-pack abs mind you, but buff and tan, nonetheless. Not bad for a 60-year-old guy.
As I looked at him from the dugout I pointed to him while asking my teammates why they thought he was standing there without his shirt. They all said the same thing. He was showing off. Then one of our guys said that it was a good thing that we all didn’t take our shirts off. It might make a lot of people sick! We would also look very funny!
I suppose that all of us have a tendency to want to show off at times, don’t we? I know that I do. I’m not referring to showing off a cute dress or a new vehicle that we just purchased. I am talking about a deliberate lifestyle which seems to constantly scream for attention. In thinking about this I have come to the conclusion that we tend to show off what we believe our strengths are, don’t we? For this softball player, it was his physique. This is certainly nothing unusual in our culture. How many people where tight jeans, or low-riders, or see-through jerseys, or skimpy bikinis in order to draw attention to their body only God knows! Other like to show off their facial features. Or their hair. Or their athletic prowess. Or their musical ability. Or their intellect. Or some kind of trick they can do. (Such as someone walking on their hands or touching their foot to their nose.) Still others like to show off their new clothes. Or their house. Or their cell phone. Or their vehicle. Why is this? Why do we, and practically every other person on the planet, like to show off at times?
I suppose that a lot of it has to do with low-self esteem. We feel so ordinary. So plain. Or maybe even below-average. So we need to draw attention to ourselves by showing off. We want others to notice us. To admire us. To envy us. To be jealous of us. In addition to our low self-esteem there is probably a pride issue as well. We are proud of our strength, whatever it may be. It is what defines us. What gives us value. What makes us of worth.
What does the Bible have to say about this? Well, for starters we know that God does not like pride. Consider the following verses:
After the noon break, we were getting ready to play our next game at 1:30 PM. Players from both teams started assembling - stretching, throwing, etc. Prior to the start of our game a player from the other team walked out to home plate where he was talking with someone. I wouldn’t have noticed this player at all except for one, small detail. He had no shirt on. None. That is what caught my eye. He was the only guy that I saw all day with his shirt off. Now, as you might imagine, there was a reason why this guy was shirtless. He was fairly buff. No 6-pack abs mind you, but buff and tan, nonetheless. Not bad for a 60-year-old guy.
As I looked at him from the dugout I pointed to him while asking my teammates why they thought he was standing there without his shirt. They all said the same thing. He was showing off. Then one of our guys said that it was a good thing that we all didn’t take our shirts off. It might make a lot of people sick! We would also look very funny!
I suppose that all of us have a tendency to want to show off at times, don’t we? I know that I do. I’m not referring to showing off a cute dress or a new vehicle that we just purchased. I am talking about a deliberate lifestyle which seems to constantly scream for attention. In thinking about this I have come to the conclusion that we tend to show off what we believe our strengths are, don’t we? For this softball player, it was his physique. This is certainly nothing unusual in our culture. How many people where tight jeans, or low-riders, or see-through jerseys, or skimpy bikinis in order to draw attention to their body only God knows! Other like to show off their facial features. Or their hair. Or their athletic prowess. Or their musical ability. Or their intellect. Or some kind of trick they can do. (Such as someone walking on their hands or touching their foot to their nose.) Still others like to show off their new clothes. Or their house. Or their cell phone. Or their vehicle. Why is this? Why do we, and practically every other person on the planet, like to show off at times?
I suppose that a lot of it has to do with low-self esteem. We feel so ordinary. So plain. Or maybe even below-average. So we need to draw attention to ourselves by showing off. We want others to notice us. To admire us. To envy us. To be jealous of us. In addition to our low self-esteem there is probably a pride issue as well. We are proud of our strength, whatever it may be. It is what defines us. What gives us value. What makes us of worth.
What does the Bible have to say about this? Well, for starters we know that God does not like pride. Consider the following verses:
“For everything in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - comes not from the Father but from the world.” I John 2:16
“The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.” Proverbs 16:5
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” James 4:6
Secondly, the only source of true esteem in life is in our relationship to God. In Jeremiah 9:24 we are told “let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me...” It is because we have been redeemed by Jesus’ blood and brought into God’s family that we can feel good about ourselves. Nothing that we have or have done of ourselves.
So, the next time that we get the urge to show off, we should stop and think. Why am I doing this? Why do I feel so inadequate? Then we need to reaffirm that Jesus loved us enough to die for us. That we are now a part of God’s family. That someday we are going to share in His glory. If this doesn’t cure our need to show off then nothing will!
Lord, I am a weak, needy person who needs to feel special. Valuable. Extraordinary. In those times when I feel the need to show off help me to remember how valuable I am to You. You sent Your Son to die for me. You love me with an everlasting love. Someday You are going to take me to Heaven where I can live with You for all eternity. May this knowledge give me the uniqueness and the security that I crave. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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