After impressive wins by the Chiefs and the Bucs yesterday, we’ll see them face off in two weeks on Super Bowl Sunday.

Among all of the interesting storylines (especially the way the Packers lost their game), the most amazing is Tom Brady heading to his tenth Super Bowl at the age of 43 with a new team!

Even though the defense helped carry the Bucs and Brady threw three interceptions, the Bucs didn’t make it this far without the leadership of Brady.

He helped turn the whole franchise around by bringing his winning approach and process down to Tampa Bay while raising the standard and maximizing the talent around him.

We can go on and on discussing all that Brady has accomplished as a superstar player, and most agree he’s the greatest quarterback of all time.

Being almost double the age of some of the young players, we could assume he has difficulty relating to his teammates and walks around on a pedestal.

But last night I noticed he’s different than we may think. First I saw him take a selfie with a lesser-known player during the celebration and then Bucs’ linebacker, Shaq Barrett, revealed this about him in a postgame interview:

“…his leadership in the locker room is amazing. He’s always talking to everybody…the first man to the last man on the roster. When you’re seeing your main guy doing that, one of the bigtime guys doing it, we all feed off of it..making for a great locker room relationship…a lot of camaraderie…it’s working out as you can see.”

Brady could easily focus only on the key players or just himself, but for Barrett to notice that he talks to guys 1-53 on the roster says a lot.

Even as I was researching, I came across a quote from a former Patriots teammate and role player, James Develin, who said, “He’s just a regular guy. He’s just as personable and approachable as anyone on our team. He does a good job staying on everyone’s level.”

In sports and life, humility is important in relating to people. Instead of allowing our position at work or status in society to elevate us and separate us from others, it’s important to show respect and not get caught up in thinking we’re better than them.

We have the choice to treat everyone with love, kindness, and grace…or act like an elevated, unapproachable, and impersonable “superstar.” If we aren’t careful, we can show favoritism toward those we deem worthy of our attention, and disregard or mistreat others who aren’t on our “level.”

The Bible discusses the sin of partiality and favoritism in James 2:1 (AMP): “My fellow believers, do not practice your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of partiality [toward people—show no favoritism, no prejudice, no snobbery].”

This may be a command we overlook, but if we desire to follow Jesus and be more like Him, we must be aware of how we treat others and consider if we’re holding back love and kindness because we view them as beneath us.

As the Bible says, Jesus came to earth not to be served, but to serve. Washing His disciples’ feet displays a true example of humility.

He was willing to talk to the outcasts, the disregarded, and those considered lesser than, and ultimately died on the cross for every one of us.

Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV) tells us to “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Today as we follow Jesus, let’s take up our cross as we die to our selfish and arrogant ways, and see the value in people because they were created by God, in His image.

Let’s be approachable and willing to talk to “the first man to the last man on the roster” by showing God’s love to everyone. I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, forgive me for withholding kindness and love toward certain people because I view them as below me. Please help me to see the value of each person through Your lens…and help me not to think too highly of myself. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Discussion Questions for PACKS:

1. In the past, what person or group of people do you think you’ve viewed as lesser than and avoided them?

2. In what ways do you lack humility or mistakenly view yourself on a different level from others?