MPC LENTEN DEVOTIONS

Lebron James is ranked number 1 in combined all-time scoring in the NBA.  He is the only player in the NBA ranked in the top 100 in points, assists, rebounds, steals, blocks, and 3-pointers.  These finite stats are what create this appeal that people have for sports like the NBA. These stats help create a clear guide for players to determine if they are doing their job or not.  The person’s personality, their community contributions, or even their attitude to their fans does not matter as much. Focusing on how they sacrifice on the court, counts more than how they care for others. If you do more work, you will get more rewards.

This clear-cut logical approach to sports is appealing, but this clear-cut logical approach to Christianity is damaging.

Many times I have added value to how great a ‘Christian’ I am based on how many “good things” I’ve done. I subconsciously created this sliding scale of Christianity where every time I give to someone in need, volunteer at a food pantry or tell someone “I will pray for you”, I get a little closer to holiness.  These are the times I have to remind myself that if I do things without love, I might as well not do it at all. But the question is, what does that mean?

When you get to the next three verses it tells you: Love is patient, kind, not envious, it does not boast, is not proud, not dishonoring of others, not self-seeking, not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil, rejoices in the truth, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.  So what counts more to God is not just the scoreboard that we have created for ourselves, but the heart behind what we are doing.  So let’s first think about the love first, then the sacrifice.