Faithfulness is Everything?
One of the greatest fallacies about quotes is the misperception that it was Vince Lombardi who originally said, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” This well-known phrase is accurately attributed to former UCLA football coach Red Sanders. Historical inaccuracies aside, the author of the quote isn’t the only thing wrong with it. I greatly enjoy when my team wins, or, even better, if I am on a team that wins. But a man of character, who knew more about winning than I do, had a problem with the mindset of that quote as well. John Wooden, builder of 10 NCAA championship basketball teams at, interestingly enough, UCLA and at one point the all-time winningest coach in the college ranks, said that he rarely spoke to his team about winning.
“Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.” Also: “Although I wanted my players to work to win, I tried to convince them they had always won when they had done their best.”
It sounds to me as if Coach Wooden felt it was more important to be a good representative-or steward- of the talent, teaching and abilities that you had than to be a winner of games. If I’m understanding him correctly, Coach Wooden shared an attitude with the apostle Paul who wrote, inspired by the Holy Spirit, “So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries. 2 Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.” (I Corinthians 4:1,2. NLT)
Paul placed a priority on faithfulness frequently. He listed it as a fruit of the spirit. (Galatians 5:22) He praised Timothy for being a faithful in the Lord. (I Cor 4:17) He said Epaphras was a “faithful minister of Christ.” (Colossians 1:7) Tychicus was hailed for being a “dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:21) How does this matter? Well, look at Christ’s praise of the church at Pergamum. “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me. You refused to deny me even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred among you.” (Revelation 2:13) Christ’s word to describe a martyr who died for the gospel: Faithful.
We are commanded to keep God’s law. We are commanded to witness and spread the gospel. We are commanded to love our wives, to teach our children the Word of God. Each of these things has a goal that is desirable. We want a good relationship with our wife. We want our friends and neighbors and children to be delivered from sin and become worshipers of Christ. But God isn’t holding us responsible for the results. We won’t be held accountable because people did not “believe our report.” (Isaiah 53) We will be held accountable if we don’t tell them- if we aren’t faithful to the commands. It is good to win. It is good to see results. But our charge is to be faithful- be a servant of a king who has granted us many good things. We must be good stewards who keep his laws, no matter the results- and then anticipate the “well done” from the Master.