Just a few weeks ago, many folks had their eyes glued to the men’s college basketball tournaments. There were work pools everywhere, and people were confident they knew which team would come out on top. It was a historic game with one of the most unbelievable and unexpected upsets in college basketball history. Never before had a No. 16 seed beaten a No. 1 seed in the Division 1 tournament. Those confident in picking their favorite to win wagged their faces to the ground as they lamented over the underdog’s win. It’s hard to imagine another time when college basketball has seen a bigger upset than this.
As I thought about this historic event in college basketball, I couldn’t help but think of the similarities between it and how the world system works in many instances. When it comes to sports, often, we take for granted that winners will always be winners and losers will always be losers. Many people do this in everyday life when it comes to those who struggle with things like poverty and lack. Even those seasoned in years and those challenged with physical and mental disabilities feel marginalized by society in many cases. People are made to feel like the underdog because the world is blind to the love of God. It favors and rewards people based on money, power, influence, and competitiveness. 2Corinthians 4:4(NLT) states, “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”
Sin is disobedience to God’s statues, laws, and regulations. It is actions, words, thoughts, and behaviors that go against God’s truth. The spiritual impact of going against God’s truth is transference. Heavenly Father designed the universe in such a way that there is no such thing as in-between. We were created by God to be children, and every child has parents. We will either follow our Heavenly Father, or we will follow the father of lies, the devil. When we follow what the devil says instead of what God says, we transfer ourselves out of God’s territory of love and light into the territory of darkness, and it belongs to satan. This is why Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death, because the devil’s territory is all about death and darkness.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news about how he rescued us from this dog-eat-dog world. He purchased us with his life. Because of him, we are no longer children of darkness, but children of light. Ephesians 5:8-11 tells us, “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.” The deeds of evil are not clearly seen by the world. It doesn’t see or care how its systems overlook, neglect, and harm those who are defenseless. As believers, those who the world has cast aside, we are obligated to show them love and remind them of how precious they are to God, for this is the work He has commissioned us to carry forth in Christ.
The Kingdom of Heaven doesn’t play by the world’s rules and standards. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 19:30 that many people whom the world considers to be the first will be the last in the Kingdom of Heaven, and many considered to be the last will be the first. God’s children know that it is by His grace we are saved, and not because of anything we’ve done. We could never earn such a gift.
Placing our total trust in God means we’ll never lose out and always be a winner in Christ. The Word that He delivered to His people in Deuteronomy 28:13(NLT) still applies to us today. This verse says, “13 If you listen to these commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom.” He has made us the head and not the tail, we are above and not beneath; His love is the standard by which we are lights of the world. This means we have a greater responsibility to demonstrate His light.
We must never focus our energy on the competitiveness of the world, but always keep our eyes locked on our Master Jesus. It is our privilege to share the good news of his gospel, so that others treated harshly by the world, through us, might receive the comfort and kindness of his loving care.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“The Last Will Be the First” written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.