Number Two And Satisfied

Number 2 And Satisfied

7/4/99 1 Samuel 14:1-14 Philippians 2:1-11

Demetrius had been the star of the track team for the last two years running the 100 and 200 meters. Was he ever fast. He could explode out of the starting blocks the instant the gun went off. He looked lightening coming down the track. It was now his senior year and his goal of shattering the ten year old school record and even winning the state championship was going to be within his reach. Articles were already appearing in the local sports page about the future state track champion two months before track season began. Demetrius enjoyed the publicity and he should have, for he had worked hard and was a great athlete.

Jack was a sophomore and his family moved from Florida to Demetrius’ neighborhood a month before track season was to begin. He recently enrolled in Demetrius’ school. Demetrius finds out that in Florida, even as a freshman, Jack had ran the 100 and 200 meters faster than he had. Jack’s best time was already better than school’s ten year old record. If you were Demetrius, how would you feel about this 10th grader who may take the place everyone was sure you’d have your senior year.

Are you shouting, “Yes, we’re going to be a much stronger track team this year.” Are you thinking, “It’s not fair. I’ve worked so hard to be the state champion and now it looks like I won’t even be the fastest one on my team.” Are you saying, “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep Jack from getting my position. Jack I may not know you, but I hate you already.”

How many of us have been in a place in life in which everything was going well for you and it looked like you were on track to get a position, or a title, or win a contest and something came along over which you had no control. You knew inside somebody else was going to get what everybody was sure was coming to you. This is when we truly have to guard against envy.

Envy comes into our lives when we see something else somebody has or is about to receive, and we get so angry we become jealous and will do just about anything to take it from them or to keep them from getting it. The Scriptures provide us with the following warning concerning envy. Prov 14:30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

We are a society that loves to chant. We’re number 1 hey. Very few teams boast of being number 2. We have a win it take all mentality or somehow you’re just not good enough if you don’t make it to number one. How many of us realize, we cannot all be in the number one slot? How many of us realize, being number one is not all its cracked up to be? All human glory is fading. How many of us realize sometimes being number one can destroy you?

We say things like, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, and we immediately assume that means we are going to come out number one. But that’s the worlds’s way of thinking. The meaning of being able to do all things through Christ, means the ability to function efficiently and joyously in whatever situation God may call you to be in for His service. Sometimes God calls you to be in the number two slot and that’s as high as you will go if you stay faithful to Him. But can you handle that place in life without becoming bitter, or jealous, or envious?

Let’s meet a young man in Scripture who had everything going for him and he seemed destined to reach the top. First of all he was the king’s oldest son. Now everybody knows that when the king dies, the oldest son comes to the throne. Second he was a young man serving the Lord. He had a relationship with God that was very personal, so personal that he would lay his life on the line when he believed he had heard from God.

Third he was a man of bravery and courage. With faith in God, he and his servant went and attacked an armed enemy army post to capture their weapons. He led a two man commando raid against twenty enemy soldiers and won. His actions led to one of the greatest military victories to date for his father. He was about as popular and well liked by the people as a prince of a nation could get. Everybody knew that he was going to make a great king.

His name was Jonathan. No doubt Jonathan was being fully groomed to one day become the King of Israel. He was trained as a warrior, a spokesperson, and as a leader. There was only one little problem. God had decided that He had a different person in mind to be king. And while King Saul was grooming his son in the palace to become king, God was grooming a shepherd boy out in the fields to become king. One day these two different set of plans would collide with each other because you can only have one king. Somebody would have to be number two and satisfied.