Christ in Matthew 25 provides a description of the ultimate judgement that comes to those who are focused on “being” versus those who are focused on “winning”. Society imposes on us the belief that “winning” at life is the key to happiness and that happiness is the goal of living. Consequently, we spend much of our life striving for worldly success to find happiness. How does God see our striving to win at life?
His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
the Lord delights in those who fear [revere] him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.
God’s pleasure isn’t in seeing you achieve success in winning as the world defines success. If you believe that God is pleased with you when you excel at worldly endeavors you are believing as the ancients did when they attributed wealth to God’s favor, and poverty to His displeasure with the individual. Instead, Christ tells us to “seek first His Kingdom and his righteousness” instead of being focused on worldly matters. Paul had this to say about this topic:
... I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Contrast the difference between “winning” and “being”. “Winning” in worldly matters usually means acquiring titles, wealth, power, material goods, recognition, etc. “Being” means letting the Spirit abide in us to produce fruit so that we are loving, patient, kind, generous, faithful, etc. You aren’t striving to have others see you that way, you just are those things because when the Spirit is in control these become your natural state. You so are naturally kind, for example, that it doesn’t even register with you that when you helped feed the hungry you were lifting Christ’s spirits and building your house on rock instead of sand (Matt 25:37-40 and 7:24-27).
“Being” requires agency—putting to work the virtues that God imputes to you. Being generous, kind, patient, helpful, selfless, etc. are actions, not just personality traits, and I don’t want to find excuses for not acting out these fruits of the Spirit in my life. Consider the way the Talmud and the philosopher Edward Everett Hale treat such a call to action:
Do not be daunted by the enormity of the worlds grief. Do Justly now. Love Mercy now. Walk Humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.
I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.
“Winning” requires action as well, but in the world to win means someone else must lose.
This criticism against “winning” in a worldly sense does not mean that we should not work hard and well at our professions to deliver value and quality to those whom we serve with our talents. Consider what the Lord said to Moses about furnishing the Tabernacle:
Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. 4 He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. 5 He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft!
6 “And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make.
I’m sure if I lived during that time, I would have sought out a certain carpenter from Nazareth to do the woodworking I needed or a certain tentmaker to make me a tent, because of the care these two men would take to do excellent work at a fair price. This is not what worldly “winning” involves. This is using the talents God gives us in a manner that honors the God who gives good gifts to his children, as he did for Bezalel and Oholiab, Jesus and Saul/Paul. Using such talents in ways that honor God’s counsel on how to live a righteous life is “being” the kind of person God desires to help us be; enabling us to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1) as it were. Listen to what Paul tells the Christians in Rome about how to “be”:
9-10 Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.
11-13 Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.
14-16 Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.
17-19 Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.”
20-21 Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.
This advice stands in stark contrast to this world’s emphasis on winning as exemplified by the infamous bumper sticker that says, “He who dies with the most toys wins.”
Everyone loses when all I can think about is winning.
