Letting Go: Part Two

In class, there's always "that guy". He's the one who goes hard on everybody--big, small, newbie, veteran--and tries to choke them all out or rip their arms of their bodies. He never relaxes in a roll because he can't stand to have his guard passed or, heaven forbid, to get tapped out. His sole reason for coming is to show everyone how awesome he is by tapping people out. For him, that is the whole point of BJJ: being a better fighter than everyone else and being able to submit them.

At our school, we call these people "head hunters".

The word "team" has no meaning for this person. And their game? Probably leans heavily on muslce and crazy bursts of movement. They don't rely heavily on technique because they can't let go during a grapple and relax--for fear of the other person gaining an advantage--so they stagnate where they are.

Sometimes, the biggest hindrance to your game is not your inability to perform a technique correctly. Sometimes it's pride. Plain and simple. You're too focused on trying to impress other people to grow.

Ok. Switch gears. Let me tell you a little bit about how awesome I am. I have a youth group with about 60 active kids. I give lessons every Wednesday, Sunday and most Thursdays. People tell me they're great lessons. Even when I'm at home, I'm counseling kids via text, IM or phone. I hang out with them constantly, do discipleship. You know, lead by example. I tithe at my church, serve at a place called Good Samaritan Mission, volunteer to help out with other ministries at the church. There's rarely a day that goes by that I'm not doing something spiritual.

Pretty awesome right? Wrong. Because I just spent the last few minutes trying to impress you with all my service.

MY service.

That's what's wrong with this picture. It's about me. It's so easy for people who attend church regularly to fall into this trap. Just like the head hunter who thinks BJJ is all about the tap, some Christians think Christianity is all about the recognition for who is the most "spiritual" or "godly" or who "has the biggest servant's heart".

Instead of seeking God's will, they seek to impress people. They seek to make themselves look good. And, just as is true in the example of the head hunter, they can not grow because they are too busy trying to keep up appearances to be humble enough to ask God what He wants them to do.

What if he wants them to do something lowly, like fold the bulletins for Sunday morning? That job gets done in the church office at a time of the day when only one or two other people are there. No one gets commended for doing it. It is a needed job, but it's not as cool as heading up the food pantry ministry or teaching a Sunday School class. You get noticed when you do stuff like that.

You don't have to be a Christian to fall into this trap. I sometimes see it in celebrities who do philanthropic work for recognition. Sure, a lot of them have good motives. But just as many are trying to gain a little popularity by "going green" or donating large sums of money to some charity for children.

A lot of times, this behavior also leads to legalism. People want to prove how "good or godly" they are. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law in Jesus' time were like this. And this is what Jesus said about them:

"Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship m in vain; their teachings are rules taught by men." (Mark 7:6-7)

How many people brag about how much they read the Bible? Jesus said:

"You diligently study the scriptures because you think by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, but you refuse to come to me to have life...How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?" (John 5:39-44)

The attitude He wants--the attitude we NEED if we are going to grow either as Christians or in BJJ--is this:

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul."

We have to let go of our need to impress people. In the BJJ gym, we have to let go of that need to prove that we are awesome. In our walks with God, we have to let go of that need to impress people with how much service we do, or how much we know about the Bible, or whatever it is we think makes us great.

It's all a show unless it's done for God's glory and by His power.