Who's #1?

 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

– Deuteronomy 6:4

The media has long recognized the public's love of lists. Check out the magazine racks in any supermarket and you'll see headlines for the Top 10 Muscle Cars, Best Ways to Renovate Your Home, and the Year's Nastiest Celebrity Breakups. Websites have year-end posts about the nation's biggest political scandals and the most-costly business failures. And cable TV embraces this popular genre through shows like the Top 100 Heavy Metal Videos of All Time, Best Caribbean Beach Resorts, and the Greatest Engineering Disasters of the Century.

But let’s not forget the most-controversial lists of them all (at least in the minds of sports fans). They're the weekly Top 20 rankings of college football and basketball teams — often topics of heated discussion in office break rooms and across the Internet. Of course, everyone has viewpoints about what or who is number one in certain categories. And when it comes to entertainment and sports, we might have a favorite movie or a strong opinion about the NFL's greatest quarterback. But what about something a bit more substantial: 

Who (or what) is #1 in your life?

Is it your family? Your career? Money, vacations ... or perhaps the weekend? Or maybe the answer is as close as the nearest mirror. If it is, join the crowd.

Whatever your response, King Solomon — probably the wisest man who ever lived — could relate. In the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, we read that he partook in every pleasure under the sun to find fulfillment in life. And unfortunately for him, his search in all the wrong places brought him emptiness and sorrow. But we can still gain much from the lessons Solomon learned the hard way: 

First, fulfillment in life comes about only when we live for the right person. And in our case, that means living for God by letting his son (Jesus) live through us. Second, we can find fulfillment only when we live by God's standards. After all, what good does it do if we say we're a Christ-follower on Sundays but live quite differently Monday through Saturday? And finally, we find fulfillment in life only when we live with the right focus. In other words, we must live with eternity in mind. Careers, money, vacations — and even sporting events — may seem important to us now. But they all pale in comparison against what we’re doing to help usher in God's Kingdom on Earth. After all, that’s every Christ-follower’s responsibility.

Now's the time to look again in the mirror and decide who (or what) is really #1 in our lives. And a great way to start is with another look at Solomon’s timeless observations through Ecclesiastes. In today's uncertain economic and political environment, his concise words of wisdom are remarkably relevant and reassuring:

Everything you were taught can be put into a few words: Respect and obey God! This is what life is all about. God will judge everything we do, even what is done in secret, whether good or bad.

Passing the Test

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

– Genesis 22:12

There’s a scene in 2009’s Star Trek movie reboot where Captain Kirk — then a brash Star Fleet Academy cadet — had to complete a computer-simulation exercise called the Kobayashi Maru Test. Designed by Mr. Spock, this intense exam placed Kirk in a no-win scenario as a starship commander facing the overwhelming force of aggressive Klingon warbirds.

Kirk remained calm as the Klingons opened fire. He even munched on an apple from the comfort of the captain’s chair — all while his exasperated crew wondered aloud if their leader would respond to the barrage. Star Fleet Academy observers also questioned if the cocky cadet took the exercise seriously. But just as the protective shields of Kirk’s vessel were about to fail, the Klingon attack ground to a halt. Then thanks to a few well-aimed photon torpedoes, the enemy spacecraft were quickly destroyed. 

The Kobayashi Maru Test was designed to gauge Kirk’s response to impending defeat against tremendous odds. But since he had reprogrammed the simulation and re-written its conclusion, he could remain confident amidst circumstances that no previous cadet had overcome. 

“I don’t believe in no-win scenarios,” Kirk explained. And why should he? After all, he already knew the story’s outcome.

Maybe our world isn’t under attack from a squadron of Klingon warbirds. But a quick check of the news headlines reveals considerable turmoil in our midst. Thank God (literally) that we don’t have to rely on our own cleverness to overcome it. The good news is that our Creator is in control of the situation. His Word (the Bible) explains that he knew the outcome before the world was even formed. What’s more, he recognized long ago that you and I would need a perfect Savior to deliver us from the consequences of our misdirected lives.

As with Star Trek’s Kobayashi Maru Test, the timing had to be perfect. And so it was. Centuries after the Old Testament had promised his arrival, Jesus was born in an obscure village called Bethlehem — exactly as predicted. Later, Christ fulfilled dozens more prophesies through his remarkable words and deeds. The odds of that happening by chance are astronomical.

How does this relate to Christ’s’ modern-day followers like you and me? 

The takeaway is that when the world seems to be crumbling around us, God’s plans are always trustworthy and on schedule … even when we don’t understand what’s happening. We can’t see things through our Creator’s perspective. But since he wrote our life’s first chapter, last chapter, and everything in between, we can be confident that he already knows our story’s conclusion. 

It’s our faith in God’s timing and provision that builds our strength for the trials we’ll face. And let’s not be deceived: our faith in Him WILL undergo testing. But rest assured, God will always provide for us when we trust Him completely.