Secondhand Glory

Growing up with two older brothers meant I never got anything new. I was always dished secondhand items:clothes, sporting equipment, and toys. My big day came when I was eight years old and my dad bought me a new lacrosse stick. It was a glorious moment. The lacrosse stick glowed from newness. That experience marked me as a young athlete. It passed through my hands first—not second, third, or fourth!

God does not want our secondhand glory. Secondhand glory is taking credit when God should be getting the credit first. It is subtle. As athletes, it is easy to take credit because we are always getting it from teammates, coaches, and fans.

God rejects secondhand glory. Throughout the Bible we see that God only accepts firsthand glory. Cain found out the hard way that God wants the best, not the leftovers. It goes beyond who should get the credit. Credit is done with the mouth. Glory is done with the heart. Glory is about honoring our Master with our best and worshiping Him with a pure heart. When we get it right and honor Him first, God will honor us. 1 Samuel 2:30b states, “I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disgraced.”

As athletes, our goal is to give God firsthand glory. As it states in the Competitor’s Creed, “Let the competition begin. Let the glory be God’s.”