This week my son is training in the Sierra Nevada mountains with his high school cross-country running team. My wife and one of my daughters are volunteering at the running camp as cooks and shuttle drivers. The training not only builds the athletes\u2019 abilities and endurance, but it fosters camaraderie. I appreciate the coaches\u2019 philosophy. They emphasize disciplined work, personal improvement, peer support, inclusivity, and teamwork. This leads to a fun, positive culture where everyone pitches in to help each other thrive and excel. In contrast, two years ago my son was on one of the high school soccer teams and unfortunately the coaching approach was different. They promoted competition between members of the team, they allowed players to belittle each other, and they valued winning over improvement. Sadly, due to that toxic culture my son lost motivation to ever play soccer again for the high school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether you play sports or compete in something else there is a life lesson to learn here about purpose and motivation. There is nothing wrong with competition or ambition. It is human nature to want to do well, achieve, or succeed. The danger lies in striving to succeed at the expense of others instead of for the benefit others, to exalt oneself by pushing others down, or to serve oneself instead of serving God. That deadly, self-centered approach tears down instead of building up, it harms others instead of helping them, and it separates you from God instead of drawing you closer to him. Jesus offers a better way to live, but it will involve sacrifice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jesus is God the Son who became a man, lived a righteous life, died a sacrificial death for you, and rose again to save you and the world. He proved himself to be the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Anyone who trusts him to save them becomes a part of God\u2019s royal family and experiences abundant life now and forever (John 3:16-21, 10:10). As you trust Jesus and follow him, he heals your brokenness, imparts a new purpose and aptitude, and transforms your life for the better. The contrast between the old way of living for yourself and the new way of living for God is striking. What does that way look like? What did Jesus mean when he said, \u201cI am the way.\u201d He meant that he was the only way to come to God and to know God which is what life is all about (John 17:3). Coming to God through Jesus is not just a one-time event, but rather a rhythm of continually coming to God in every aspect and every endeavor of your life. It\u2019s cooperating rather than contending, sacrificing rather than self-seeking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The way of Jesus is humble faith in God rather than prideful confidence or self righteousness. The way of Jesus is self-denial rather than self fulfillment. The way of Jesus is love for God and others before love for self. The way of Jesus is light, transparency, and truth versus darkness, secrets, and deceit. The way of Jesus achieves victory through suffering instead of chasing comfort and security. The way of Jesus brings glory to God instead of glory to oneself. Simply put, the way of Jesus is the way of the Cross. It\u2019s not competing to obtain the best in life, it\u2019s surrendering your life and trusting God to replace it with his better life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Each of us can learn from Jesus\u2019 disciples who struggled to understand and follow the way of Jesus. Jesus tried several times to impress on them that he must suffer and die and then rise from the dead, but some of them were still caught up in the after effects of the seeing the glory of Jesus on the mountaintop. Ever since the rivalry Cain felt toward his brother Abel at the beginning of human history, the competitive spirit has been crouching at the door of every person\u2019s heart. This time it surfaced in the request of two of Jesus\u2019 closest disciples, James and John. They were still seeking favor and advancement and preeminence. \u201cMaster, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you…Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory\u201d (Mark 10:35-37). Even though the disciples were lagging behind, afraid, not knowing what to expect, they were on the road to Jerusalem, and sensed that soon maybe Jesus, the Messiah, would fulfill the wonderful prophecies written about him. For James and John it was the opportunity to secure their place with Jesus. It was the quest to be first, to win, to be at the top of the charts, to be on the best-seller list, to capture the crown, to gain the advantage over others. When the rest of the disciples, heard about this, they were indignant. Don\u2019t make the same mistake as James and John. Don\u2019t ask God to fulfill your dreams and goals and to bring you glory. Make it your goal to fulfill his will and bring him glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou do not know what you are asking,\u201d Jesus told them. The disciples had no concept of what glory means in the eyes of God, in the realm of divine life. John would later learn that the hour of Jesus\u2019 glory was the hour of his greatest act of mercy and compassion and love toward all mankind\u2014his suffering and death on the Cross. The resurrection and ascension that followed were the final events on the path of justice, the path of humility and faithfulness that leads to redemption and salvation, the path of obedience that leads to suffering and sacrifice. In this moment, the hour of sacrifice for others, the fullness of God\u2019s holy nature is revealed\u2013his glory. His glory is his love, his humility, his faithfulness, his mercy, his pouring out his life, his suffering for others, his overcoming sin and death, his redeeming of mankind and creation\u2013all revealed through his Son, all finally accomplished on the Cross. \u201cAre you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?\u201d Jesus asked them. \u201cWe are able,\u201d they said, still not understanding the path of true glory, the way of God\u2019s Servant. Yet the disciples would eventually learn to take this way, the same as Jesus. They would lay down their life for him\u2013however, only God decides who will be closest to his Son in the age to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God\u2019s way is the Cross. How far from the way of the world and the nature of mankind! Jesus further taught his disciples, \u201cYou know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it must not be so among you…\u201d Greatness in God\u2019s kingdom is not achieved by winning, by preeminence, by gaining advantage over others, by reaching the top and then exercising authority and control over them. Greatness in God\u2019s kingdom comes by serving others, not competing with them. Greatness bends low to meet the needs of others, to lift their burden, to carry the cross of their affliction. Greatness sets aside privilege and position in order to make things right, to seek and save those who are lost, strengthen those who are weak, and rescue those who are oppressed. Greatness is not striving to be number one; it is willing to be last, to take the lowest position, the place that serves all the others. Jesus finished his lesson to the disciples with this, \u201cWhoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of man [Jesus] did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many\u201d (Mark 10:43-45) To be the servant of all means serving everyone, doing what will help them all\u2013what will redeem them. That\u2019s what Jesus did. He achieved greatness through humility and obtained glory through sacrifice. If you want to follow Jesus you must take the way of the Cross (Luke 9:23-26).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jesus taught, \u201cEnter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it\u201d (Matthew 7:13-14). Jesus was exalted above all by taking the way of the Cross (Philippians 2:5-11). Follow his way and you will be exalted in him also to truly live now and forever. You will become all you were designed to be with God, which is something you can never achieve on your own. Also taking the way of the Cross will enable you to best help others, since you\u2019ll be sharing with them God\u2019s love and salvation found in Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n