Facing Reality

Facing Reality

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. James 1:23-24, NIV

Perceptions don’t win ball games. No team can rely on its reputation as “a finesse team” or “a dome team” or “an offensive team.” After all, it may not even be accurate—perception is not the same as reality.

I used to talk to my team often about the difference between perception and reality. The public perceives players as different from the ordinary people their families and friends know. But to win and be effective, our players needed to dig beyond perceptions and look at reality—not at their reputations, media personas, or past performances, but who they were on the field. And sometimes that process of uncovering reality could take a little work.

To develop a good game plan in life, we need to know who we really are—not how others perceive us, not the image of who we want to be or who society says we should be, but our true selves. That applies not only to us as individuals but to the “teams” we play on: with families, coworkers, church members, neighbors, and other groups we’re involved in. We need to know our strengths and weaknesses and how they fit into the big picture.

How can we all do that? We must occasionally stop and take stock of who we are and what our goals are. And we need an objective standard to do that, not just our personal opinions. When we measure ourselves, our thoughts, our actions, and our goals by our own standards, we may end up missing the mark. Our perceptions aren’t always accurate. But if we measure these things by God’s Word, we are basing our lives on reality, not perceptions. That is the kind of game plan that works.

It’s a process, and it isn’t always easy. But if we want to “win”—to live effective lives that contribute to society and further God’s purposes—we’ll take the time to look in the mirror of truth, see who we really are, and base our lives in reality.

Uncommon Key > Perception doesn’t accomplish goals; substance does. Know who you really are and where you are going, and then pursue your goals.