Earlier this year, Titans' defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons signed a contract extension to remain in Tennessee until at least 2026. He was a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and last season his strong play (including 7.5 sacks and 43 quarterback pressures) landed him on the All-Pro second team. Now that Simmons is settled into the league and the Titans demonstrated their commitment to him, he can approach this season differently. Simmons recently commented, “My goal this year is not to try and prove who I am. My goal is: How can I be better than I was last year? Especially health-wise. I wasn’t 100 percent . I want to go into this season down in my weight, and I want to be able to be consistent with that. "I want to be consistent with my technique and my fundamentals, and consistent with my leadership – that’s what I have to prove to this team. I am not trying to prove, ‘I am better than this guy in this league.’ …This organization knows who I am as a player, and that’s why we came to an agreement. At this point in my career, it’s just, ‘How can I be more consistent with my play?'” Meanwhile, wide receiver Elijah Moore was traded this offseason from the New York Jets to the Cleveland Browns. During his rookie season in 2021, he caught five touchdowns in only 11 games and showed great potential. Unfortunately, last season, he only caught one touchdown in 16 games and had a real drop-off in his play and opportunities. However, he’s still a young player and gets a chance to start over this season with the Browns. Moore appears to be excited about being in Cleveland saying, “Feels good to be wanted and it’s going to make any player, any human, go harder when you feel like that and you feel like you’re around people who want you to be here. So, I’m going to give it all I got every single day.” The quotes by both of these players provide us with plenty to unpack and parallel to our own lives. As followers of Jesus, are we living in a way where we're always trying to prove ourselves to others or even God, and don't realize we don't have to do that anymore? Of course, we want to work hard for the Lord and 2 Timothy 2:15 (AMP) tells us, "Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the Word of truth.” We have to be careful, however, when it comes to our motivation and our goal. As followers of Jesus, we don’t have to prove ourselves to be saved or loved by God because His grace isn’t based on our works, but rather our faith in Christ. We have to remember that Romans 5:8 (ESV) explains, “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Ephesians 2:8-10 reminds us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” So, when we receive grace and salvation through Christ, we don't need to perform for God and prove ourselves in a way to get a “new contract” since we are “signed” for eternity. We live for God and serve Him in a way that demonstrates the reality that our hearts have been changed and Christ is our Savior. He is who we seek to please, honor, and bring glory to because we love Him and as a response to what He’s done for us. Unfortunately, it’s challenging to remain focused on that because so often we get caught up in “proving ourselves” to other people and become motivated by what others say about us. We must ask ourselves, “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” (Galatians 1:10; ESV). As followers of Jesus, He is committed to us, we are accepted by Him, and Ephesians 1:5 (NLT) tells us, “God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.” Similar to the comments made by Moore, it “feels good to be wanted” and because we are wanted by our Creator, we can also echo Moore’s comment “...so, I’m going to give it all I got every single day.” When we realize how much God loves us and wants us to know Him and be with Him forever, we “go harder” after Him and the things He wants us to do. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NIV) says, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.” Today, let’s approach life based on the reality we are loved and accepted by God. Similar to Simmons’ comment, let’s declare, “My goal this year is not to try and prove who I am,” but rather embrace who we securely are in Christ and rest in His finished work as we set out to joyfully and freely serve and please Him. I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I’m so grateful I don’t have to perform or try to prove myself worthy of Your love and salvation. Even though I’m a sinner, You show me grace. I desire to live a life that is Holy and pleasing to You and brings You great honor. Help me to rest in the finished work of Christ. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PACKS:
1. In what ways do you attempt to prove yourself to God and others?
2. Why is it so important for us to grasp that through Christ we are accepted and it's not based on our performance?
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