5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
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We have been given so much in Christ. We have come to know Him, and He desires for us to seek to bring Him glory. In 1st Corinthians 3, Paul writes:
21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours:
22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come--all are yours.
23 And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.
1 Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.
As a child growing up outside of Atlanta, I was certainly, and continue to be a Braves fan - of course, back in those days, there was no Superstation that carried the games; no, I relied on a Sony transistor radio to listen to the voices of Milo Hamilton and Ernie Johnson calling the games.
No, Ernie Johnson of TNT's Inside the NBA wasn't calling Braves games back in the 60's - that would be his father. But, Ernie followed in his father's footsteps and has become legendary in his own way.
Recently, there was coverage of Johnson's motivational speech in the Alabama Crimson Tide locker room. Now, I would imagine that it's common for celebrities to visit locker rooms to speak to teams to provide a spark; so what was it about Ernie's talk? According to USA Today:
This week he stopped by the University of Alabama and delivered a powerful speech to Nick Saban’s football team about his “get to” job but more importantly he spoke about one of his kids, Michael, who he and his wife adopted from Romania and who has muscular dystrophy.
The story featured a tweet from ESPN that included a video from the talk. The quote that was included in the tweet: “How am I going to make somebody else’s life better today?” There were other tweets of approval that USA Today included.
Ernie Johnson is motivated by his faith in Christ, and I located a 2018 Christian Post article that highlighted how he came to know the Lord. The article states:
In FCA's new story titled "Totally Honest," Johnson talks about his faith journey, the opportunities God gives him to shine for Him, and how Johnson strives to be the servant rather than the served.
The article relates that:
His two oldest children, Eric and Maggie, asked Ernie and his wife, Cheryl, why they didn't attend church as a family. After some discussion, Ernie and Cheryl decided to attend Crossroads, a nondenominational church they drove by frequently in Atlanta.
Johnson was moved at the first service he attended, when the pastor asked the congregation two questions: Who's the provider in your family, and are you pursuing happiness or wholeness?
He asked the pastor to lunch, and at an Atlanta restaurant, he asked Jesus into His life. His wife, Cheryl, made that decision not too long afterward. The Post goes on to say:
Their pastor explained to them that even before they became believers, God was working in their lives. For example, beginning in 1990, they began adopting children out of love, empathy and compassion.
The article relates:
"She has taught me so much," Ernie said of Cheryl. "I wanted to play it safe sometimes. She had bigger dreams. ... You have to put other people first. This can't be all about you."
As his faith grew, Johnson considered leaving TNT. Should he continue his career after turning his life over to God? Should he try to find a faith-based job? He asked Cheryl what he should do. She responded on his spiritual birthday by giving him a large compass as a gift. Cheryl's handwritten note with it reminded him to remember the day he found his ultimate direction in life—and to let God direct him.
He has had bumps in the road over the past 20 years - a cancer diagnosis, after which, he adopted the slogan, "Trust God...Period." Around a month after his father died 10 years ago, their adopted son, Michael, had to go on a ventilator; now 29, Ernie spends his mornings caring for Michael, according to the article. Johnson is quoted by FCA: "The Son of Man came to serve, not to be served...Being a servant is where I find myself."
I think about Cheryl Johnson's present to Ernie on his spiritual birthday - a large compass, with a note reminding him about God's direction. The Christian Post article said, "He knew the platform God gave him would provide opportunities for him to share his faith. And God did just that." We can know that God's Word is the compass for our lives - He gives us the direction we need in order to live our lives for His glory.
And, God directed Ernie to stay with TNT after he devoted his life to Jesus. According to Arizona Sports, Johnson told the Crimson Tide: "What I’ve got is a get-to job, not a got-to job. I get to do that,” adding, “When you look across the room and you lock eyes with a teammates and are wearing the same colors, that’s a get-to, not a got-to.” We can question our own viewpoint of following God's call - do we view it as an opportunity or an obligation? We can evaluate our attitude toward our profession in light of God's overall plan and purpose for us.
That includes, as Jesus directed, loving God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength - and loving our neighbor. That gets back to, as I mentioned earlier, seeking to make someone's life better. Viewing ourselves as servants, humbling ourselves before the Lord, will enable us to impact a person's life with the love of God.
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