WEEK ONE: EMBRACING SINGLENESS

One of the most familiar images in all of sports is an athlete pointing one finger into the sky, indicating that they are “number one.” Sometimes even when they are not the top athlete (but are winning at that point), they will point their finger to the sky. Now before we criticize them for doing this, let’s be realistic. Deep down inside, every one of us wants to be number one. It brings a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. We like the feeling of being important and loved. Unfortunately, those desires can begin to turn from self-satisfaction to selfishness. We begin to see ourselves as entitled, and instead being number one, we start to only look out for number one (our “self”).

This can easily leak into our relationships as well. Instead of being in a relationship for the other individual, we begin to only be in a relationship for what we can get out of it. When this happens, we can start to manipulate and use the other person for only what we want. But what if we flipped the script? What if instead of being number one, we started being the one that the one we are looking for is looking for? That is a whole different mindset. That is the way that God looks at each of us.

In sending Jesus, God wasn’t looking out for himself, but instead was looking out for each of us. Jesus was willing to lower himself and take our place to take on our penalty so that our relationship with God could be restored to what it was intended to be. If that is the case, then shouldn’t we do the same for the people we are in a relationship with? This means that I will do everything in my power to make sure I am what I need to be so that my relationships are solid. Develop strong character. Be patient and kind. Do not be self-seeking but be self-controlled, and always forgive. But this can only happen when we are no longer number one, but we put Jesus in that number one spot.

When we become secure in Jesus and we take our identity from who he says we are—no longer thinking “only I am number one”—then we can have the kind of relationships that God wants us to have.