Happy Wednesday! I’m excited to bring you a guest blog written by my amazing husband, Jon Wright! Check out his message about the GOAT… and no, it’s NOT Tom Brady!!

“The GOAT” by Jon Wright

Anyone who knows me knows that I really love sports. Ever since I was little… starting in soccer at age 4, then t-ball and baseball. I played a couple seasons of football in high school, as well as a couple seasons of swimming. In my late 20s and early 30s, I took on some distance running and competed in 5Ks, 10Ks, and half marathons.

I’ve also always loved watching sports. I grew up in the “good ole days” of Seattle baseball, going to the Kingdome to watch Ken Griffey Jr, Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson, etc. play. In addition to my love for sports, I also have a love for music. It’s a huge part of what I do today as a Worship Pastor, and it was a big part of my childhood. In 6^th grade, I joined excellent band and choir programs at Bailey Middle School in Pensacola, Florida.

Whether it’s music, sports, film, art, or something else entirely, one common thread holds them all together. We strive to be great. I would say that there is an obsession in our society to not just be great, but to be the greatest. You don’t have to look too far to find online arguments about who the GOAT is. Who is the greatest of all time? In football, is it Brady, Rodgers, or Montana? In basketball, is it Lebron James or Michael Jordan? People hold very strong opinions about who they believe is truly the GOAT. 

Many of us strive for greatness in the things we do. When I was in the Bailey Middle School band, it was my goal to be “First Chair” (meaning I was the most accomplished of my peers on my instrument). And when I achieved my goal, I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment. When I played sports, I had visions of scoring the winning run/point or making the play of the game. I wanted to be great at what I set before me. 

To this day, I still have a desire to be great, but my mindset has shifted a bit. I have a new understanding of what it really means to be great, and it’s quite different than what most people believe it to be. I have a different idea of what success means. 

Jesus talks a number of times about what really makes us great. One example is in Luke 22:24-27…

Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.”

There were a few instances where Jesus’ disciples argue over who was the greatest among them. Jesus responds by sharing what it looks like to truly be great. It’s meant to be different than the world around us. In order to be great, He says we must become servants. This seems completely backwards. The world would say that someone who is truly great has a lot of servants. They have people to do everything for them. Jesus says that someone who is truly great IS a servant. Jesus himself came as a servant. It even threw off the religious scholars of the day. They expected the Messiah to come and look like a king. They couldn’t bring themselves to believe that He’d come looking like a humble servant.

This is the example we are meant to follow. If we want to truly be great, we have to become less. Our lives are meant to be lived to benefit others. Of course, that doesn’t mean that we can’t do things simply for our own enjoyment. God loves us, and He wants us to enjoy life. There’s also nothing wrong with striving to be great at something. I still want to be a great guitar player, a great singer, and a great worship leader. As I mentioned earlier, my mindset toward greatness has shifted as I’ve gained an understanding of Jesus definition of greatness. That shift centers around the question “Why do I want to be great?” Is it to achieve fame and fortune and a worldly sense of success? Is it to gain awards, recognition, and accolades? My pursuit of greatness now is much more motivated by my desire to make others great. The better I am at the different gifts & abilities God has given me, the more equipped I am to make someone else better.  

The arguments over who is the greatest athletes of all time will never really be settled because they are subjective. The same goes for any other GOAT arguments. But I can tell you that the one true GOAT is the one who came to serve and give His very life for us fully knowing that many would reject Him. Jesus is the GOAT. Every day, I want to serve like Jesus. That is how I will achieve and discover genuine greatness. The world’s rewards for “greatness” are things like Lambos, Vettes, and private jets. But the reward for REAL greatness is better than anything we will ever receive on earth.