Like many professed Christians, Jack assumed he was good with God and was ready with a convincing argument if needed. He wore the satisfaction of knowing he had already far surpassed his original life goals, and he was taking the moment to reflect. Fortunately, God led him to discover the truth before it was too late.
AWAKE to a New Life… Introduction page 1
God’s truth in the Bible often does not make sense, so we dismiss it or try to accept it in faith. Occasionally though, something comes along to help us understand His wisdom and plan for life. AWAKE to a New Life… is such a story for a fictional character, but recent events with real people at the Olympics raise the question of how God would have us deal with the demands of being a great performer.
The G.O.A.T. title has been around for a couple of decades to acknowledge the “greatest of all time” performers in sports, entertainment, and other careers. Many people who like to compete would love to have that title, attention, and benefits of being the greatest. But, recent stories of star performers at the Olympics and other sporting venues suggest that being acknowledged and praised as an idol is difficult (and maybe impossible) to handle.
God tells us that He neither wants nor allows any person to be the kind of god that our godless culture tries to create. “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols (Isaiah 42:8). Of course, the motive of most people who strive to be the best with their talents is not to become an idol in the sense of replacing God. However, our godless culture works hard to elevate people to that level. And while idols make their fans happy in the short term, the actual impact on themselves and their fans is never good because God will never yield His glory to anyone. We may think God is being jealous about sharing glory, and He confirms He is. You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you (Exodus 34:14 NLT). Note the reason for His jealousy; God is jealous for people to live for His glory out of His love for us. Only when that happens can people experience life without the strife and chaos that is now the norm.
So, does that mean that people with world-class talents should not work to be the greatest of all time? Is it possible to be the greatest of all time and still give all glory to God? Well, it isn’t easy because most people get more excited about human idols than God. However, the Bible tells us to defer all glory to Him and provides examples of great people who did. For you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body (1 Corinthians 6:20 ESV). So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
A few star performers do try to redirect incoming glory from themselves to God, but their testimonies typically get buried by the media. Nevertheless, those performers are following God’s commandment to “have no other gods before Me” by refusing to be one of those gods. They know they are not wired to be the god that the world wants them to be – as such, giving all glory to God provides them with a peace that transcends all understanding. They do not have to carry the weight of the world as many G.O.A.T. people try to do.
From God’s Word in the Bible, we know that this current earthly life will never be a place where performers, fans, and the media work together to give all glory to God while encouraging star performers to become the greatest of all time. However, God tells us that will happen in the next life for some. There will be new heavens and a new earth where the priority of everyone will be to give all glory and honor to God. Imagine having a new life on a new earth where absolutely everyone is living according to God’s plan for life. Imagine working, playing, and competing with your skills and talents – all for the glory of God. Imagine a world void of lies, deceptions, and evil. Imagine being great at what you do but having no internal or external conflict. I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: “Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women! They’re his people, he’s their God. He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone—all the first order of things gone.” The Enthroned continued, “Look! I’m making everything new. Write it all down—each word dependable and accurate.” (Revelation 21:3-5 MSG)
That is God’s promise for everyone who makes the all-in commitment to believe and receive Jesus as Savior and Lord before leaving this current life. Because of His sacrifice as Savior, we can begin a new life now as we practice giving all glory and honor to the one true God.