Former pro quarterback Kenny
Stabler once said, "In the NFL, there are 25 guys who can throw better
than I can. But I can make guys win." I guess that's what it comes down
to, isn't it? Being able to win. In the NFL, as in life, content is more
valuable than form.
There was once a district manager of a chain of retail stores
whose managers were rewarded financially for outstanding sales performance. He
recently made the comment, "A number of managers try to score points with
me by having the most tidy store—as if that will make up for lack of
profit."
People have a tendency to value form over content. Most real
estate professionals will tell you that on a percentage basis, a new coat of
paint will increase a home's selling price far more than new plumbing will.
This is a trap we must refuse to be caught in. In the Old
Testament, we are reminded that God's priorities are different than ours. God
said to Samuel...
"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the
outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).
We may sometimes allow ourselves to be satisfied with good
form—a handsome family, a nice car, a pretty house, a good job, a
respectable religious affiliation, a dignified manner of worship—but God
reminds us that the content of our lives is much more important than surface
level appearances. Samuel said...
"To obey is better than sacrifice" (1 Samuel
15:22).
Our ongoing challenge is to strive to improve the content of
our lives, rather than merely settling for good form. It means that we should
make it our aim—in our family, in our career, in our relationship with
God—to live life from the inside out.
