Greatness in sports is so obvious that even the common person understands the rarity of what he or she may be witnessing. Yesterday, when Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer to secure his fifth Wimbledon title and his 16th Grand Slam victory in men’s singles, we undoubtedly witnessed greatness.
The final turned out being the longest in Wimbledon history (4 hours and 55 minutes) and was the first to go to a fifth-set tiebreaker where Djokovic outlasted Federer 13 games to 12, 7-4 in the tie break.
To put that into perspective, they essentially played an entire extra set of tennis. Throughout the historic fifth-set, the notion that either man would find a way to win-by-two seemed to be wishful thinking. The two greats traded blows for nearly five hours at the amazement of fans worldwide.
The match itself was outstanding. Federer’s signature one-handed backhand was remarkable to watch, Djokovic’s dominance in tie-breaks was unmatched, and the mental toughness of both men was profound.
Besides the incredible tennis, however, I couldn’t help but take a step back to fully appreciate the greatness that was occurring. It dawned on me how unique such an event like Wimbledon is when two greats are competing against each other.
What made the match so extraordinary was that both players were succeeding. It wasn’t a lopsided event where one player dominated the other. That is often boring because the overall net performance of the match is low.
In contrast, when Djokovic gained momentum, Federer’s play was elevated and vice versa. Each player’s success elevated their opponent’s performance, and the quality of the match overall.
As a fan, I did not want either player to lose a step. I was craving continued elevation of play because it was so captivating to watch.
Relating this to faith, I see too many times that as followers of Jesus, we view our sanctification as some sort of righteousness Olympics. We desire to be the wisest, the most loving, and the most servant-hearted.
We want to win, but at the expense of fellow brothers or sisters in Christ losing. When we see a friend that is serving and getting noticed for it, we think it takes away from our own sense of serving others.
When we have a friend getting encouraged in their wisdom, we may feel defensive or jealous because it feels like our wisdom is being discounted. This mentality of winning by others losing is detrimental to the body of Christ.
As followers of Jesus, we should embody the same mindset that fans had while watching Sunday’s Wimbledon final. When we notice the gifts, righteousness, and sanctification of another Christ follower, it should be an encouragement because the overall impact of Christ followers is increasing.
The overall work of Christ through His people is expanding. We should not be seeking lopsided victories of our growth in Christ over others. We should desire and encourage all followers of Jesus to be producing fruit and growing in righteousness through the power of Christ.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:11, we are clearly instructed to do so: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (NIV).
By encouraging and building others up in their continual surrendering to Christ, the gospel can continue to transform. There is not a limited supply of fruit to be produced in Christ that needs to be competed for, but rather a garden of fruit that continues to be harvested…not limited to how far and wide it can grow.
I’m Luke Heaton and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you for Your gracious gift of salvation. Thank you for your blood that washes me clean and allows me to grow in my relationship with you. I pray that you’d help me be encouraged by my brothers and sisters in Christ as they grow in their relationship with you. Help me not to be jealous or defensive when other followers of You are producing fruit and becoming more like You. Let me not view this as somehow taking away from my relationship with You and my own sanctification, but instead as an encouragement that helps me continue to trust You. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Discussion Questions for PACKS:
- Have you ever been happy about other followers of Jesus “losing” in their faith?
- How can we encourage each other in our faith and build one another up?
- Do you encourage other followers of Jesus? If not, what is the biggest reason for that?
I think you’re right that too many times we look to win at the expense of others. We need our brothers and sisters in Christ to be there alongside of us because this is a constant and everyday battle.