Don’t settle for second place
Published 8:24 pm Saturday, March 20, 2010
“Let us make man in Our image after Our likeness…” Genesis 1:26.
When it comes to some good ol’ food, my family knows that they can count on me to go back for seconds. My grandmother each year for Thanksgiving would bake me not one but two of her homemade sweet potato pies because she knew that one is not enough. When I tasted Sherry Goodman’s pastries (Goodies Express Cuisine) I had to go back for seconds, because they were mmm-mmm good!
In life, though, no one wants to be second or come in second. Athletes work out and train to win championships, not to come in second place. Being second means that you are not first. OK, that sounds simple.
Most of us experienced a back-to-school or holiday occasion when we received hand-me-downs while we were growing up. We weren’t content feeling that way, because we wanted to feel special enough to get something new. Keep reading and you will catch my point.
As a king or queen in the Kingdom of God, you deserve better than secondhand love, affection and/or commitment. Some have become content with being the mistress and not the wife, the friend and not the husband, the fling and not the spouse.
This topic is touchy only because many fail to address it, but please see beyond the spectrum of your feelings and enter the corridor of your heart.
The media is all over Tiger Woods’ infidelity issues, and they certainly have the right to do so, but what about the women that became complacent with being second? This, my friend, is an epidemic that is causing America to lose its godly roots.
Many ask, “What am I supposed to do?” The answer is simple, while the ability to carry it out is challenging. Wait on the Lord. Wait, I say, on the Lord! Those who find themselves being second become second sometimes because they were “told” that they were first.
Please realize that what we are willing to accept is an outward showing of what value we place on ourselves. There is no great benefit in being second.
Just look in the mirror and make a declaration, that says “I will do better, because I deserve better.” There was a woman that committed adultery who was brought before JESUS by her accusers. Though she was caught in the very act, her penalty was covered by grace, forgiveness and mercy as her verdict read “not guilty.” But she was left with these instructions: “Sin no more.”
The next time you are told you are first, make sure the actions line up with the words.
Think about it? Agape!