#WISDOMSample

The Name on the Front of the Jersey

“Miracle” is one of my favorite movies. It tells the story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team’s unlikely victory over the seemingly invincible Russian squad.

One of the pivotal scenes in the movie is when Coach Herb Brooks is unhappy with his team’s effort and selfishness during one of their preliminary games before the Olympics. (You can watch the scene here if you would like.) After the final buzzer, the team thinks they are going to relax and hit the showers, but Coach Brooks has other plans. He calls the team to the goal line and forces them to do lines for hours on end. In their brutal postgame workout, Coach Brooks gives the famous line, “The name on the front of your jersey is much more important than the name on the back.”

Coach Brooks was making a point that when you choose to play on a team, you are choosing to be marked by something greater than yourself.

Wisdom is kind of like choosing to be on a team and has markers as well. One of those markers you will read about today is the marker of generosity. When we choose the way of wisdom, generosity will naturally flow from our lives. Wise people just naturally improve the condition of those who surrounded them. Solomon puts this concept so well when he says in Proverbs 22:9, “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.”

Generosity isn’t something that is easy or comes without sacrifice. Like being on a team, however, there is great reward when you choose to sacrifice the glory and importance of your own name for the sake of the team.

What’s most important to you? Your own name on the back of your jersey or the generous life you can share with those who are most in need?