I Don't Have to Prove Anything

Week 1 of the College Football season kicks off this weekend, and the marquee game on Saturday will be Clemson at 11th-ranked LSU. It’s the much-anticipated debut for new LSU head coach Lane Kiffin.

However, I want to focus on the head coach on the other sideline under the bright lights: Dabo Swinney. He's been Clemson's head coach since 2008 and has had remarkable success throughout his tenure.

His record is 187-53, but last year they won only 7 games, his worst season since 2010. Clemson was on top of the college football world between 2015 and 2019, when they went 69-5, reached the College Football Playoff four times, and won the national championship in 2016 and 2018, knocking off Alabama both times.

As we know, college football has changed drastically in recent years, and there has been plenty of discussion about Clemson’s place in the new era and how they need to adapt more than they have. Dabo has heard his fair share of criticism and questioning as the team has not been winning like they once were.

Dabo appears to have a good perspective on the pressure to win again and on the critics who say he needs to prove himself.

The Athletic has an article with the headline, “Dabo Swinney Says He Doesn’t Need Another Title To Prove Himself, Has No Plans To Retire,” with the opening line saying, “With two national titles to his name, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is past the point of trying to validate his worth.”

Swinney told The Athletic at ACC Kickoff, “Well, most people don’t have one, and probably never will get one. So I don’t really feel like I gotta go win another national title to prove anything to anybody. I just wanna focus on the things that really drive me, and that is impacting these guys’ lives, truly fulfilling the purpose that we have in our program…

"Nobody wants to win more than me. And we’ve won 11 (conference and national) championships in the last 15 years. I think the next closest coach has six. So, being who I am, that’s served us well. So I don’t know how to be anything other than me, but as far as, like, I gotta go win another national championship to prove something to somebody, I’m not really wired that way.”

Of course, the fans and media are always focused on “what have you done for me lately,” and we get caught up in wanting coaches to prove themselves and validate their worth, but I appreciate Dabo’s mindset.

In our own lives, are we declaring, “I’m past the point of trying to validate my worth,” or are we still trying to “prove something to somebody” and seeking the approval of others?

Is our motivation to please others? Who are we allowing to define our worth? Do we feel pressured to do whatever it takes to keep people happy and to live up to the unrealistic expectations and standards they place on us? How much do we listen to the negative criticism and questioning that others have toward us? Are we looking for the world to validate us so we’re chasing more success, money, power, and acclaim?

Thankfully, as followers of Jesus, we can embrace the mindset that we don’t have to “prove anything to anybody,” but rather we seek to please God by the way we love, trust, and obey Him. Our lives and motivations aren’t based on worldly accomplishments or trying to cater to the demands or out-of-whack standards of others. 

When we start to feel like we're not enough or not good enough, we must remember that our victory is rooted in Christ, and that He defines our identity, worth, and value. He loved us enough to die for us, save us from our sin, and give us new life. We rest in the finished work of Christ, and our soul is secure in Him. 

Our mindset ought to be that of the apostle Paul when he says in Galatians 1:10 (NLT), "Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant."

Paul writes this about his ministry approach in 1 Thessalonians 2:4 (NLT): "For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts."

The ESV translates Galatians 1:10 into these questions: "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."

How do we answer that question today? What are our motivations and desires? What does our life reveal about who we're trying to please?

Today, let’s live a life that matters in light of who Jesus is and what He’s done for us, and move “past the point of trying to validate our worth” and trying to “prove something to somebody.”

It's not worth living our lives trying to please anyone more than God. He is the One we live for as we respond to His extravagant love and grace for us. We do it not under pressure or obligation, but with freedom and gratitude, in a way that glorifies Him.

I'm Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please help me stop worrying so much about what other people think or say about me. I know I don’t need to prove anything to them or seek their validation. I desire to please You above all else. I want to be Christ's servant and live a life that points people to You. Thank you for Your extravagant grace and love. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.