20Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
So, we can evaluate whether or not we are reliant on the wisdom of this world, which is futile and imperfect, or the wisdom of God, which is valuable and perfect. When we consider we have access through the Word of God, made alive by the Spirit of God, in order to develop accurate vision for our lives, we err by attempting to rely on human wisdom. God's ways are so much higher than our own, and we can be motivated to follow in His ways, as He lifts us up and gives us a sense of what it is like to walk on His level.
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5If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.6But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.7For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
The closing seconds of Super Bowl 49 were incredible to watch, a fitting conclusion to a hard-fought, close game. Russell Wilson had led the Seahawks down the field, aided by the incredible catch on the tipped ball featuring receiver Jermaine Kearse on the ground that brought back memories to the NBC announcers of David Tyree's helmet catch in the Super Bowl against the Patriots on the same field.
Was it a case of history repeating itself? With less than a minute left and Seattle poised to take the ball into the end zone to win the game, Russell Wilson threw the ball toward his intended receiver at the goal line, and - the pass was picked off by an undrafted rookie from the University of West Alabama, formerly known as Livingston, the city where the school is located.
The player's name is Malcolm Butler. Listen to his quote, according to Boston.com: “I just had a vision that I was going to make a big play and it came true and I’m just blessed.” Butler said after the game, in an interview with NBC’s Michelle Tafoya. Now, I don't know what exactly that means, but there could be a spiritual component here.
This definitely can cause us to think about the concept of vision. It's an important element for the way we live our lives. For the Christian, it means having a sense of direction for our lives and of dependence on Christ, allowing Him to give us wisdom.
In another Super Bowl-related story, a man of vision, who also is a believer in Christ, received the annual Bart Starr Award during the week leading up to the big game. The award is given by Athletes in Action and the Super Service Challenge for character and contributions on and off the field. This year's winner was Peyton Manning, and the award was presented by Tony Dungy and Bart Starr, Jr. Bart Starr, Sr. was unable to attend due to health issues.
Athletes in Action President Mark Householder is quoted on the UTSports.com website as saying, "We are all familiar with Peyton as a winner on the field," adding, "But there is much more to him. He is a winner through his significant community contribution and a man of character and integrity in his personal life."
He said that, "Peyton and this year's finalists Benjamin Watson (New Orleans Saints) and Justin Tuck (Oakland Raiders) are outstanding examples of athletes who are committed to using their football platform to serve others. We are proud to associate Peyton's name with Bart Starr and the previous award winners."
He said that, "Peyton and this year's finalists Benjamin Watson (New Orleans Saints) and Justin Tuck (Oakland Raiders) are outstanding examples of athletes who are committed to using their football platform to serve others. We are proud to associate Peyton's name with Bart Starr and the previous award winners."
Peyton is known for his attention to detail and his diligent study of the game. He is certainly a man of vision, and as I pointed out on The Front Room blog last year, a man of faith.
He is also a father, of twins, and some of this year's Super Bowl commercials could help create an enhanced vision for fatherhood. I was tipped off by a Fatherhood CoMission e-mail to check out a piece by Scott Williams of the Men Stepping Up blog from FamilyLife. He wrote last week that:
If this year’s commercials are any indication, there’s already a winner for this year’s Super Bowl MVP: Dad.
This year there are three commercials that will probably touch everybody, man, woman, or child. That’s because they’re about dads, and the fact is that either you are a dad, have a dad, or have a dad-hole you’re looking to fill. The commercials for Toyota, Nissan and Dove plucks all those heart strings.He pointed to the Dove ad, "simply a succession of two dozen clips of kids and young adults in everyday life. A swimming pool, a high chair, a wedding. No one says more than one word, but that one word is powerful. Dada. Daddy. Dad." Williams adds, "Dove’s reminder is that a dad’s strength is his involvement in the lives of his children, from their earliest years to the time they start their own families.
He also points out that, "Over the past several months, Nissan has repeated the mantra, 'Everything’s better With Dad.' It’s a campaign by Nissan’s chief marketing officer Fred Diaz acknowledging something that every parent in America knows: it’s hard to strike a good balance between work and family, but it’s important to do it. CNN Money describes the ad, which shows the family of a professional race driver, with the soundtrack of the Harry Chapin song, "Cat's in the Cradle,"
which is about a father who regrets spending too much time working and not enough with his son.
It points out that Nissan has created a social media campaign about fatherhood leading up to the commercial's airing. At a Web address created by Nissan, WithDad.com, the automaker has invited YouTube users to submit videos about the concept of fatherhood. Several videos have already been posted.
And, another ad extolling the value of fathers was for Toyota. Williams points out, "The commercial begins with a simple question:
Is being a good dad something you learn, or a choice you make?
He writes:
More than a feel-good piece about, say, ginormous horses and fluffy puppies, “To Be A Dad” focuses on how “one bold choice leads to another.” Whether they had a good father or not, these men share about how they are trying to be that good dad, and you can see how they are passing that legacy down to their own children.
At the end of the piece, viewers are invited to become participants by tweeting about their own father. The piece ends with this message:
Honor your dad.
Tweet us photos of him using #OneBoldChoice
to join our big game celebration.
By the way, this year's Fatherhood CoMission theme, centered around Father's Day, is "Honor Your Father."
Quickly, I think our main takeaway today is to be challenged to develop vision. Malcolm Butler said he had a vision that he would make a big play. Peyton Manning has acquired a vision for excellence on the football field. The Super Bowl commercials can help create a vision for fatherhood. What do you have a vision for? I think certainly we can develop that vision for who God wants us to be - the Bible speaks to our identity in Christ...we are loved by God, and as He has expressed His love toward us, He desires for us to express His love.
We can also acquire a vision for what God wants us to do. Our doing does not exceed our being, but our doing flows out of our being. The internal vision we have for our relationship with Christ can be expressed externally by how well we walk in God's principles.
Finally, we can have a vision for how God wants us to do what He has called us to do. His ways are perfect, and His abundant wisdom is available for the person who is willing to give himself or herself diligently to seeking God's Word.
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