Happiness Based On Performance Is Unsustainable

by Eric Elkin

“...for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. ”

— Jeremiah 31:34

As my confirmation class came to an end on Sunday, I received a text from my son. The message read, "Who is this quarterback, and what did we do with this Cousins guy? Lol Kirk's passing is on fire." My son is not a fan of Viking quarterback Kirk Cousins. His words let me know the Vikings were playing well.

When it was over, Kirk Cousins had the kind of game fans expected when management signed him to an $84 million contract. Finally, reporters were writing about how the Vikings won because of Kirk Cousins and not in spite of him.

Events leading up to the game made the performance particularly sweet. A former teammate of Cousins, Zach Brown, told reporters that the quarterback was the "weakest part" of the Vikings offense. The words caught the attention of the national media and became one of the hottest topics on sports talk shows. The world watched to see how Cousins would respond.

After the game, reporters surrounded the locker of Eagle linebacker, Zach Brown. They asked him if he regretted his comments. Brown wanted nothing to do with the question. 24-hours later, the Eagles wanted nothing to do with Zach Brown and cut him. They said the decision was not based on his bad performance, not his comments.

The funniest thing about the whole story was the irony. Every reporter asking Zach Brown about Kirk Cousins had written at least one article saying the exact same thing. Every Viking fan with a pulse thinks Kirk Cousins is the weakest part of the offense. Except now, after one great game, we will forgive his iniquity and remember his sin no more. Well, at least for this week. Next week against the Detroit Lions could be a whole different story.

The prophet Jeremiah writes that a day is surely coming when God will write the law of grace on our hearts. This law will be so woven into our being that we will not even have to teach it. People will know the Lord forgives their iniquities and remembers their sins no more. If our attitude towards Kirk Cousins is any indication, I would say that day has not come yet.

“When grace moves in...guilt moves out.”

— Max Lucado

Most of us do not know the million-dollar superstars continually on parade in the news. Yet, our attitude towards them reflects something about us. If Kirk Cousins' performance determines your level of happiness for the week, the problem may not be Kirk Cousins. Actually, if the deciding factor in your level of happiness is anyone's performance, a sense of joy may be impossible to sustain.

When Sunday came to a close, I gathered with the high school youth from my church to share in communion. I told them why this meal makes me happy. Every time I come to the table, my mind is full of the burdens I carry. I carry the weight of all my poor performances and failures. These things seek to rob me of life.

When I eat the bread and drink from the cup I remember, the Lord forgives my iniquities and remembers my sins no more. At that moment, there is no greater joy in life. My only problem is remembering it in between meals. So, perhaps there still is a reason to teach God’s grace.

Click to read Jeremiah 31: 31-34