Perform From a Place of Freedom
Perform From a Place of Freedom
An Olympic moment reminded me of a better way to live and work
It’s been almost two months since the closing ceremonies of the Milan Cortina Olympics, but there is a story from the games that continues to resonate in my mind.
Every four years, we have to watch the figure skating competition. In another life, my wife likes to envision herself as an Olympic skater. (I, on the other hand, would not have been her doubles partner).
Like many of you, we watched in awe as the American, Alysa Liu, took home the gold in the women’s event. I don’t claim to be a skating aficionado, but there was something that just felt different about her performance. Beyond the technique, it was joyful. It made us all smile. Her comments afterward caught my attention.
She said that heading onto the ice, she was determined not to focus on her score. Rather than obsessing over medals, she concentrated on creating an experience for those watching her. That others-focused mindset left her “calm, happy, and confident.” She just went out there to share her love for her sport.
To my knowledge, Alysa Liu is not a follower of Jesus. But her posture before the biggest performance of her life carries a gospel allusion worth noting.
There’s Freedom in Forgetting Ourselves
Pastor Tim Keller often talked about the Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness. Our sin-fallen nature makes us hungry to make something of ourselves and turns the focus of our actions inward.
What will people think of me? How will this impact my status? Will I be celebrated as a success or ridiculed as a failure? In effect, I have to be my own savior and this performance is one the ways I will justify myself.
So we focus on what we need to get from our performance, not on how we can bless others through our performance. That usually works against us.
The gospel says all the admiration, love, and accolades we will ever need we already have in Christ. That frees every act of our lives (great or small) to pivot outward. Our obsession is no longer to make something ourselves, but to honor God and love and serve others.
And when our focus shifts to where it was always designed to flourish, our performance improves, too. We can’t all win gold, but we can be freed to use our gifts as they were designed—to bless God and others and point people to Jesus. That’s the only win that matters.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
A question worth asking yourself this week: Where in my life am I still trying to earn my worth through performance?
Erik Cooper
Erik began his career in the business world before spending twelve years in full-time ministry, serving on staff at a large suburban church and later as a church planter in downtown Indianapolis. Today, he serves as the President of a family of business-oriented nonprofit organizations that work together to mobilize the marketplace to make Jesus known in the world. He leads The Stone Table, which equips marketplace believers and invests in global mission initiatives, and Community Reinvestment Foundation, a nonprofit real estate company providing high-quality affordable housing in Indiana and directing its profits to missions through The Stone Table.
