There is something about our culture that likes to rate the best and worst. Here are some nominees. If you do a Google search you can find all kinds of nominees for the worst athlete to win a championship.

In 1993 Andre “Red Light” Racicot played only 18 minutes in one playoff game for the eventual Stanley Cup champion Canadiens allowing two goals on nine shots because allowing goals is what he did best.

In 2007 325-pound Jared Lorenzen won the backup quarterback job for the Giants Super Bowl-winning season. Perhaps even more notable than his football abilities are the two nicknames he got tagged with including “Hefty Lefty” and “The Pillsbury Throwboy.”

In the NBA there are three players who stand out as possibly the worst athlete to win the championship. Bill Wennington wasn’t imposing on defense and averaged only about five points per game for his career. Jack Haley played on a team that won 72 games. He played in one of them and scored 5 points. In the first two seasons Dickie Simpkins made the playoffs he didn’t play a single playoff minute. When he finally got the opportunity to play in his third playoff run He scored 1.2 points a game on 37% shooting.

Bill won three championships, Dickie won three and Jack won one. Do you know why Bill and Jack and Dickie are champions. Two words. Michael Jordan. They played with the greatest NBA player of all time. Do you think that they should be ashamed of their rings? Do you think they should keep them to themselves? No way. They practiced hard. They had front row seats to history. They were able to watch the greatest of all time do what he does best.

This is what God is asking each of us to do. We don’t have to start a foundation or feed every homeless person or start churches throughout the world.

We simply have to join God in what he is doing and he will give us front row seats to the amazing.

The prophet Isaiah put it like this.

You did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. Isaiah 64:3-4

Turns out we don’t need to do anything all that spectacular.

All we need to do is go for the participation trophy.

What is God doing in your world that he is calling you to participate in?