By Matt Osborne The 2022 edition of the FIFA World Cup concluded in dramatic fashion on Sunday afternoon, as Argentina topped France in penalty kicks in what will undoubtedly go down as one of the more entertaining World Cup Finals in history. While a World Cup victory is always a noteworthy occasion, Argentina’s victory made for even bigger headlines than usual. Lionel Messi, Argentina’s star captain and one of the greatest players of all time, cemented his status as a soccer legend by adding the only piece of hardware he was missing to his trophy case. Heading into the World Cup, much talk had been made about Messi’s elusive quest to bring home the sport’s ultimate team accolade. For a man who had seemingly accomplished everything, there was to achieve for an international soccer star, his lack of a World Cup trophy was the lone glaring hole in his resume. Some commentators had stated that Messi would never seriously be in contention for the title of soccer GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) unless he was able to bring the World Cup trophy back to his South American country. With Argentina’s victory now realized, however, there seems to no longer be any questions surrounding Messi’s legacy. But there are numerous questions that I want to ask in the aftermath of his impressive performance: What if Argentina would have lost Sunday’s match? What if Messi would have ended his career without achieving his sport’s ultimate accomplishment? Would his legacy truly have been tarnished all because he failed to achieve such a difficult goal? In our society today, there seems to be constant pressure upon us to “achieve big.” While working hard and doing your best is still seen as admirable, we often can feel pressure to achieve and succeed by the standards of the world. As followers of Jesus, the temptation even exists for us to import that urgency to “produce” into our spiritual lives as well. We can very easily begin to feel inadequate and unaccomplished if our ministry efforts don’t end up being as fruitful as we had initially hoped. But praise be to God that the way in which He defines success is vastly different than the way that our performance-based society perceives things. 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 (ESV) says, “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” In God’s way of thinking, greater emphasis is placed upon faithfulness than it is upon results. While we are expected to use the gifts, talents, and resources at our disposal to serve God to the best of our abilities, it is God who will ultimately be responsible for the results. Writing on the idea of being faithful in our efforts and leaving the results to God, the Apostle Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 3:5-6 (ESV), “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” As you think about “leaving a legacy” in your life of faith, be encouraged to remember that God is not after your achievements as much as He is after your faithful obedience to steward the gifts and resources that He has given to you. Such recognition will not lead you to be lazy in your work, but will rather allow you to serve the Lord with joy and freedom, knowing that He is the one who will ultimately produce the harvest. So, in the busyness of the holiday season, take time to think of ways that you can be faithful to utilize the gifts and resources that God has graciously allowed you to have in this stage of life. Let go of the pressure that tells you that you must succeed at all costs, and watch God bring about His results for His glory! I’m Matt Osborne, and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me gifts, abilities, and resources that I can use to serve You. Thank you for being the one who brings about the results as I work for You. Please help me to be more aware of the ways that I can serve as a faithful steward, and help me not get too caught up in the results. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What God-given gifts, abilities, and resources could you use to serve Him right now?
What would it look like for you to be a faithful steward of what God has entrusted to you?
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