Try to picture a team carrying their coach off the field chanting WE’RE NOT #1!
Never happen, right? In our culture, second place is just the first loser. If they don’t play We Are The Champions while confetti rains down, the season was a failure.
But here’s a hard reality: no matter how hard you work, someone out there will garner more followers, raise more money, get more attention from the folks who could help you, and in general beat you at about anything you measure.
Who cares?
Unless it’s football, being #1 isn’t our job. Just because a thing can be compared doesn’t mean the comparison matters. Most of the time, we’d be better of ignoring the scoreboard.
There’s no limit to what a committed, passionate group of people can accomplish when they work together and trust God for the outcome.
Better, I think, to leave the results to God. Then we’re free to focus on building relationships within a strong, safe community around a cause that matters. No scoreboard required.
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However, there’s nothing wrong with setting an outrageous goal. Big goals can inspire us to do our best work, but I think there’s a key understanding.
Never allow your GOAL to become your WHY
Maybe you’re trying to raise a certain amount of money, or ride a certain number of miles. Perhaps you’re maintaining sobriety one day at a time or completing a project with a partner. Whatever the goal, there’s always a deeper “why” that inspires the effort.
The key, I believe, is to keep that “why” clearly in mind. (Or, as Jon Swanson reminds me, keep the “who” of Jesus in mind.)
So while the FREEDOM TOUR team seeks to raise money to support the kids at Project Rescue’s Home of Hope, (the goal) we don’t let that get in the way of our WHY: Create a community in which people are empowered to trust God, work together as servant leaders, and offer hope to others.
Of course you should strive toward that big goal. Just remember why you set that goal in the first place.