Chasing Trophies
Like most of America, our family watched the recent Super Bowl (even though we don’t like either of the teams in it…Go Browns). Winning that game, of course, is the pinnacle of success in the football world, the ultimate dream realized. But time and again, the quarterbacks who reach that mountaintop have admitted that the victory, fame, and the championship ring didn’t bring them the fulfillment they thought it would.
It's interesting to hear people like Tom Brady from years past, after winning multiple Super Bowls, who famously said in a 60 Minutes interview:
"Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, ‘Hey man, this is what it is. I reached my goal, my dream, my life.’ Me, I think, ‘God, it’s gotta be more than this.’"
Kurt Warner, another Super Bowl champion, shared a similar sentiment:
"You think that if you accomplish something, if you reach a certain status, then you will finally be fulfilled. But I realized that success on the field wasn’t going to bring me the purpose and meaning I was looking for—that only came through my relationship with Jesus."
These words from the best in the game remind us of a powerful truth: earthly achievements, no matter how great, can never fill the God-shaped void in our hearts.
It’s a good reminder to make sure we are budgeting our time towards priorities that have an eternal impact. We’re blessed to have that very privilege as we help students cultivate a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The world constantly tells us that success, trophies, and accolades will bring us lasting joy. But we know that true fulfillment comes only from knowing Christ.
Paul put it this way in Philippians 3:8:
"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ."
We love academics, athletics, clubs, art, and achievements from any endeavor. They are gifts from God. But the achievements themselves cannot be the primary goal. Our co-mission between our school and your family is to shape these students into young men and women who see their worth not in what they accomplish, but in who they are in Christ.
My encouragement is to use this example as a conversation starter with your child this week. Ask them about their goals. Maybe they’ve never thought about setting goals before! What do they want to achieve this year? Maybe a few years from now? Maybe by the end of their high school career? Is it something academic focused? Club focused? A goal towards a certain spiritual discipline? What do they hope that achievement brings them? That can be a great conversation and an important reminder for these students that Jesus wants our hearts. He wants us to be a light for Him in our sphere of influence (whatever it is we are doing), and He cares about our journey as we follow Him; not just the achievements that may come as a result of our work!
As parents, educators, and leaders, we get to invest in something far greater than trophies. We are shaping hearts and minds for eternity. And that’s worth far more than any Super Bowl ring.
So as we watch the big games and celebrate the incredible athletic achievements on display, let’s remember: the greatest victory has already been won, not on a field, but on the cross.
And that victory in Christ is the only one that truly satisfies.