Trophies are humorous issues. We’re speculated to really feel a private sense of accomplishment due to some faux gold plastic thingamajig bought from an internet catalog? Note that my distinct lack of trophies has most likely given me this angle. So if you happen to’ve bought a million trophies, and also you see this in a different way, grace and peace to you.
I used to be round 9 years previous once I joined the Capital Textiles T-ball crew. I bear in mind the primary follow and oldsters’ assembly. I bear in mind the best way the coach appeared precisely like a Little League coach you’d see on TV. I bear in mind being the one lady, and I bear in mind not essentially loving the concept of taking part in T-ball. I can’t bear in mind if I explicitly complained about having to go or simply sucked it up, however I do know my mother was simply making an attempt to like me properly by enrolling me to play, so I believe I most likely surmised that and simply went with the circulation.
I used to be actually, actually dangerous at T-ball. And the boys on my crew truly appeared to care about successful, which I couldn’t fairly grasp, so I used to be fairly obnoxious to them. But there was a vivid aspect. By about midway by way of the season, that they had a nickname for me, and I cherished it: Lightning. Because I used to be so quick, after all. I attempted to reside into that nickname — I promise you, there have been occasions once I should have been a blur operating round these bases as a result of I used to be going so quick. I even requested my teammates, “Could you guys even see me? I was going so fast!”
They put the title “Lightning” on my trophy, and I admit I took it a little too far. I bought lightning bolt stickers for my pocket book in school, bought lightning bolt dangly earrings to put on, and I even entertained getting a little lightning bolt shaved into my early-90s undercut boy haircut, however any individual good stopped me.
At some level, I used to be knowledgeable that that they had nicknamed me Lightning as a result of I used to be so sluggish.
I threw the trophy away.
I’m bitter about trophies, OK? They’re not my favourite factor. Trophies aren’t essentially the perfect factor for these of us who’re Kingdom-minded and residing with an everlasting focus. It looks as if trophies hold us believing that the perfect factor we are able to do is rack up approval on earth, although it’s the approval of our Father meaning essentially the most.
It appears as if trophies are pictures that give us glory, moderately than placing it the place it belongs — on the ft of Jesus.
I’m not saying we should always burn all our trophies, however perhaps it’s worthwhile to think about why we search them, why we hold them, and perhaps even ask ourselves, Are we holding these symbols in an excessive amount of esteem? Are we placing an excessive amount of inventory in them?
First, let’s not consider for even a second that our obsession with awards and accolades ended after Little League. We all lengthy to obtain our personal model of recognition. Here are a few wishes for recognition that appear to prevail amongst these of us who’ve handed elementary college:
We need to get on the dean’s record.
We need to get scholarships.
We need to get acknowledged on the assembly.
We lengthy to be thanked publicly.
We want we may win the Yard of the Month award. We’d like to see our image within the publication.
It can be cool if the pastor would point out us from the pulpit.
We need to be thanked behind the ebook.
We need somebody to name us their greatest buddy. We want they might tag us in that publish.
I would like the ebook to get the award.
We need to get verified on Instagram.
We measure our credit score financially.
And we deal with our our bodies like the final word trophy.
Telling a buddy she’s misplaced weight has someway turn out to be the final word praise. When we develop previous the cultural absurdity of commenting on folks’s literal weight, we discover different methods to note and notarize each other for the way we glance. This follow isn’t discovered solely exterior of Christian tradition; as a substitute, this is only one measurement of the world we’ve fully co-opted. We’ve even added non secular weight to assist it, whether or not deliberately or unintentionally.
We have fun when a buddy “bounces back” rapidly after a child, we glorify the “glow up” (a season when a tween or teen goes from wanting awkward to superior by the world’s requirements), we reward each other once we eat much less and name it “self control.” In quick, we have a tendency to show one thing God by no means ordained into one thing non secular.
We deal with our our bodies like trophies, statues representing what we idolize: the approval and a spotlight of others. This is problematic initially as a result of that glory belongs to God.
What if the ultimate straw, the factor that can tip the scales towards revival, is the counter-cultural resolution that any distinction or honor we’re given will get laid on the ft of Jesus? What if we resolve that any trophy or award we obtain shall be relinquished so we turn out to be much less involved with what number of accolades we are able to garner, and as a substitute, use our power to worship Jesus? What if revival is available in our communities as a result of we break the matrix and scream on the enemy, “Making our bodies better was never necessary! They were made good!”
What if revival comes as a result of we resolve our our bodies should not trophies to start with?
Why the Trophies Have to Burn
The ladies in my household, gals of the New South that we’re, have a few phrases which might be so Southern and saccharine they’ll make your tooth harm. But they’re exhausting to stop.
“More jewels in your crown!” we shout once we see one another doing one thing holy, one thing virtuous, one thing usually unseen. When you’re form to the fussy woman at church who all the time tries to be secretly spiteful to you, it’s “More jewels in your crown!” When you watch your sister’s children although you’re having a actually full and exhausting work week, it’s “More jewels in your crown!” When you’re caught cleansing up the mess another person made, it’s “More jewels in your crown!”
I say it to my sisters as a result of I do know they get the gospel, the reality that Jesus is sufficient after they aren’t. I say it to them as a result of I do know they don’t consider they will earn their means into Heaven, and since the concept of a heavenly crown is rooted in Scripture.
James 1 and Revelation 2 communicate to the “crown of life” that shall be given to those that endure and persevere beneath trials. The “incorruptible crown” can be referenced in 1 Corinthians 9 and shall be bestowed on those that show self-denial and perseverance. 2 Timothy 4 speaks of a “crown of righteousness” for many who anticipate the second coming of Jesus, and there’s a “crown of glory” for many who minister and preach the gospel in 1 Peter 5. My favourite, the “crown of rejoicing,” reveals up in 1 Thessalonians 2, for many who interact in evangelism exterior the Christian church. If you’ve ever identified an evangelist, somebody who’s enthusiastic about seeing different folks stroll with Jesus, I wager you’ll be able to image them rejoicing a ton in heaven.
Then, there’s the passage in Revelation that describes what’s going to occur because the elders lay their crowns on the ft of Jesus:
Whenever the residing creatures give glory, honor and due to Him who sits on the throne and who lives with no sign of ending, the twenty-four elders fall down earlier than Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives with no sign of ending. They lay their crowns earlier than the throne and say:
“You are worthy, our Lord and God;
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by Your will they were created and have their being.” — Revelation 4:Sep 11
Scripture speaks of a heavenly reward for everlasting work, however even then, it makes it clear that we’ll be compelled to ship these trophies and rewards proper again to the throne. Whatever jewels are in your crown, I do know you’ll depend them as nothing if you encounter the grace and glory of God.
Whatever trophies come our means, we’ll gladly reroute them to Him, as a result of He deserves them.
But make no mistake! These trophies, these crowns, these jewels, these presents of glittering glory are about everlasting work and are of everlasting value. They should not our our bodies. Our our bodies should not trophies. Our our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, the house of our heaven-bound souls. It is a trick, a software, a tactic of the enemy of our souls to make us consider that our our bodies’ value is in any means decided by human opinion or notion.
Your physique just isn’t the crown you’re going to put on the ft of Jesus.
Your magnificence just isn’t the jewel you’re going to offer again to Him. Your physique is nice as a result of He made it, nevertheless it’s not crucial factor about you. Your physique can’t be the perfect factor about you, specifically since you are a lot greater than your physique. And we’ll all see therapeutic, restoration, and revival once we resolve to cease agreeing with any concept that promotes such considering.
Excerpted with permission from Breaking Free from Body Shame by Jess Connolly, copyright Jessica Ashleigh Connolly.
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Your Turn
Your physique is a good factor. It’s not a trophy, it’s a software, one thing we make the most of right here on this earth, one thing stuffed with the fantastic Holy Spirit, one thing good. Come share your ideas with us. We need to hear from you about considering rightly about our our bodies! ~ Devotionals Daily
