Everyone Gets a Trophy

Imagine this scenario. A man is watching his seven-year-old son’s soccer game. There’s no scoreboard, but his son’s team is obviously dominating. At the end of the game, the referees direct all the kids to the middle of the field to shake hands, and then each player is handed a participation trophy. As the children leave the field admiring their prizes, the man yells out, “That’s not fair! Those kids didn’t win. Why does everyone get a trophy?”

Now flash forward to the next morning. That same man is dressed in his finest business clothes and on his way to his white-collar business job, where he enjoys relative success. As he’s walking up to the building, a homeless man approaches him and asks for money. The man keeps right on walking as he says, “If you worked hard enough, you wouldn’t be in this situation.” He goes about his day without giving the homeless man a second thought.

Do you see the problem here? There is a fundamental disconnect between what we say we believe and what we actually believe when it comes to hard work. We say that hard work is all that’s necessary to succeed (as in the case of the homeless man), but in reality, we often get upset when hard work is rewarded (as in the case of the kids at the soccer game). It may be a simple example, but the soccer game scenario reveals two other attributes that we tend to reward as much as, if not more than, hard work: talent and luck.

In sports, the team that exhibits the most talent usually wins. The players can try as hard as they like, but if they aren’t any good at the game, they’re going to lose most of the time. This is true in other aspects of life, too. For example, the work force. Imagine you’re a manager with two employees you’re considering for promotion. One of them works very hard. He shows up to work early every day and stays as late as necessary to get the job done. The other does great work but doesn’t put forth as much effort. This job comes easily to him. He gets the work done, but he never pushes himself, and he often leaves early. Which one are you going to give the promotion to? Probably the one with more talent.

I’m not saying that’s necessarily a bad thing. Talent should be rewarded. If someone’s good at something, they should probably advance in that field so that they can continue to improve and do even better. And sports would be pretty boring to watch if the players weren’t talented. I’m just saying that hard work alone is not enough to make it in the sports world, or the work force. There is an element of talent involved that many people overlook when they offer the simple solution, “Work hard, and you’ll do fine.”

The other attribute that our society rewards is related to talent. It’s luck. This is one thing that people adamantly deny when talking about employment opportunities. They say everyone has a fair chance and that all they have to do is work hard to succeed. But everyone doesn’t start off with the same chances. I was very fortunate to be born in a wealthy country to a well-off family in a good neighborhood. I was fortunate to go to a great school, to receive encouragement at home to excel in my education, and to not have to work in high school and instead focus on getting into college. These are all opportunities that many of us take for granted and that too many others don’t have.

We’ve all seen luck play out on the sports field, too. There’s an element of luck to everything from work to family to dating and so on. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with rewarding luck, either. It’s unavoidable. I just think it’s important to recognize that our society is set up in a way that rewards these other things—talent and luck—and not just hard work, as many people say.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that hard work has no value or that there aren’t a lot of people who have worked very hard to get to where they are. What I am saying is that hard work isn’t the one-size-fits-all solution that many Americans believe it to be, even if it should be. So give those kids their trophies. They worked hard to earn them. Let’s stop saying that we reward hard work and actually start finding ways to reward it on the ball field, in the workplace, and everywhere else.

Transformers: Age of Extinction

I know I’m way behind, and I’m ashamed of how long it took me, but I finally made it to the theater to see Transformers: Age of Extinction, and I have a lot to say. This movie left me with a bag of mixed feelings that I’m going to try to fathom into coherent thoughts in case any of you are still on the fence about whether or not you should see the newest installment in the Transformers film series. So without further ado, here’s my review of Transformers: Age of Extinction.

The first word that comes to mind when I think of Age of Extinction is long. When I heard the movie was going to be two and a half hours, I thought, “That’s no big deal. I’ve seen movies longer than that before.” But for this movie, two and a half hours seems like way too long. I remember getting about three-fourths of the way through Age of Extinction and wondering, “When is this movie going to end?” It’s not necessarily that I didn’t enjoy the movie. I just think it would have benefited greatly from being 15 or even 30 minutes shorter.

On the subject of the movie’s length, you should also know that there is a lot going on in this film. With Shia LeBeouf’s Sam Witwicky out of the picture, the filmmakers had to introduce a whole new set of human protagonists to go along with the already-established Autobots. On top of the new crew of good guys, there are a ton of villains in this movie. I personally struggled to completely grasp what was going on at certain points, and I was giving the movie my complete attention. You might do well to read up on a few of the main characters before you go into the film so that you’ll have an idea of what’s going on.

One thing that became very clear to me while I was watching this movie was the fact that I remember almost nothing about the first three films, and that’s OK. As Optimus Prime says during the movie, “The rules are different now.” This is a new Transformers. It may exist in the same timeline as the original movies, but it has a darker tone, a different direction, and new heroes.

As far as casting goes, I thought the movie did a good job. Mark Wahlberg was great as the new protagonist, Cade Yeager. Having the main good guy be a single dad going on an adventure with his daughter, Tessa (played by Nicola Peltz), was a nice change from the guy-tries-to-get-the-girl formula of the first three Transformers films. Rounding out the main trio was Jack Reynor playing Shane, Tessa’s boyfriend. These three, along with Optimus Prime and his Autobots, fight against Lockdown, an evil Transformer sent to earth to find Optimus, and his human allies bent on eradicating Transformers from the planet.

I think my favorite thing about this movie was the fact that they’re finally starting to dive into the question of where the Transformers come from. Lockdown is apparently in cahoots with “the Creators,” and he refers to them constantly. I really like this kind of mythology, and I look forward to seeing where they’re going to take that subject in the future of the film franchise.

Another cool addition to this film was the Dinobots. They actually added to the plot and action of the film, and they looked pretty sweet while doing it.

Overall, I did enjoy this movie. I wish it was a little shorter, so it may be worth it to wait until you can rent it on DVD and pause it for a break if you get exhausted. But it was still an exciting action movie with good actors and the Transformers we all can’t help but love. If you’ve seen the previous movies and enjoyed them, you’ll enjoy this one as well. If you’ve never seen a Transformers movie before, now would be a good time to get on board, as they’re giving the series a shot in the arm with new characters and story arcs. Either way, I would recommend this movie, but probably as a DVD rental.

Have you seen Transformers: Age of Extinction? If so, did you like it? If not, what’s holding you back from seeing it? Let me know what you think via my Contact form or on social media. Thank you guys for reading, and have a great weekend!

You Are Not Alone

I recently heard a song on the radio that made me think. I love songs that make me think. This particular song was called “No Man Is an Island” by Tenth Avenue North. If you haven’t heard it, you really need to look it up. The core message of the song is that we’re created for community, to do life together. When talking about the song, band member Mike Donehey said, “You’re made like God. That’s why you feel lonely. You’re made for others.”

Wow. What a powerful statement. The idea that God created each of us with a deep desire connect with others—to know and be known by fellow humans—astounds me. In a world that bombards us with the idea that we must be totally independent of one another, God calls us to interdependence. It’s not just something He wants for us. He’s encoded it in our DNA.

The yearning for community is something we inherited from God. I believe it’s one of the many things God was referring to when He said, “Let us make man in Our image” (Genesis 1:26). We serve one God who exists in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three persons coexist in harmonious community with one another. They form the perfect balance of interdependence. This model of community is the one that we should seek to emulate as we interact with each other and be drawn into as we interact with God.

So there’s nothing wrong with the desire for community. In fact, it’s a desire that God placed in all of us, and we actually got it from Him. Many people feel like they’re weak or codependent when they feel lonely and crave true human interaction, but that’s the wrong way of looking at it. Everyone feels that way sometimes because we all fail at one point or another to fulfill the need that God has placed in us to connect with other people. And that loneliness is just God’s way of reminding us, “Hey, you were made to be in community with other people, remember?”

But it’s not enough to just have superficial interactions with others. Although casual conversations or even just a smile from the stranger on the street can be nice sometimes, we all want more than that. We all want to know and be deeply known by other people. We want to share our deepest feelings, our greatest experiences, and our darkest moments with others. There’s something in us that just isn’t satisfied until we have that. That’s normal. That’s OK. In fact, it’s good. Because we all need that. It’s just the way we are.

Communities come in many shapes and sizes, and there’s no one-size-fits-all way to form and maintain one. But whether it be a group of friends from school, a small group from church, or some close family members, we all need the support and fulfillment that we can only get from connecting with others in a deep, meaningful way. We all yearn for community.

So if you’re feeling lonely, I want you to know that it’s OK. In fact, it’s probably good. It means that you recognize your need for community. Maybe you’re like me and have a tendency to keep to yourself most of the time, and you just need that little tug on your heart from God to remind you that you were made for more than that. Please know that you are not alone. God made you for community, and there are other people out there just like you looking for someone to connect with. All you have to do is reach out and find them.

Thank you guys for reading. I hope this blog post has meant something to you. I know it’s something that’s been on my heart. I am so thankful for the awesome people that God has placed in my life to support and encourage me, especially for my church mentors and friends that I get to see and work with day in and day out. On that note, I’d like to give a shoutout to my friend from church Amy Ward, who asked me to include her in my blog post this week for some reason. Check out her shop Amy’s Attic on Facebook and tell her hello for me! Thanks again for reading, friends, and I’ll see you on Saturday for Stuff Devon Likes: Transformers Edition.

Suits

Hello and welcome to this week’s Stuff Devon Likes, my weekly post where I talk about something that I think is cool and want to share with you guys. This week, we’ll be talking about Suits, a TV show on USA that I’m really into right now.

A lot of people are intrigued by the law. There are countless TV shows and movies that center around lawyers and the cases they take on. There’s something about seeing justice served (or not) that draws our attention. But Suits is no ordinary lawyer show.

Suits centers on Mike Ross, a young man with a brilliant mind. He is very interested in law. In fact, he’s studied hard for the LSAT. He can get a nearly perfect score on it. The problem? Instead of going to college and taking the LSAT for himself, Mike takes the test for other people in exchange for money. But despite the fact that he’s never been to law school or even college, he has a passion for the law.

Enter Harvey Specter, a big-time lawyer who never loses and bores easily. After a chance encounter, Harvey and Mike decide to team up and take on the bad guys together. It seems like the ideal situation. Harvey gets a bright new associate and Mike gets his dream job. Unfortunately, trying to practice law while covering up the fact that you’ve never been to law school proves difficult, and thus the drama unfolds.

Suits has a great cast of characters other than Mike and Harvey. There’s Donna, Harvey’s assistant who knows everything; Jessica, the managing partner at Harvey’s firm; Rachel, the paralegal who catches Mike’s eye; Louis, Harvey’s rival within the firm; Trevor, Mike’s drug-dealing best friend; and more. Each character has some really cool moments, but I would have to say my favorite character is Louis Litt. If it’s any indication of how hilarious he is, his catchline is, “You just got Litt up!”

I enjoy Suits not only because the premise is really interesting, but because the characters are people you really come to care about. They’re very full and dynamic characters, and I’ve grown attached to them. The emotional connection the viewer has with the characters on Suits makes it a very compelling show that will keep you coming back for more.

Another cool thing about Suits is the story arcs. You’ll think an issue is resolved, but then it will come back a few weeks later and be worse than before. Several stories play out over multiple episodes, heightening the tension and making the resolution really satisfying. The fact that they can make you wait but still keep you interested is very impressive.

Suits just started up its fourth season on USA, and it’s still going strong. Check it out and let me know what you think of it! Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you guys next week.

Knowing God

I’m sure most of you have heard the proverbial story of the blind men who were led up to an elephant and asked to tell what it was. One of them touched the elephant’s tail and concluded that he was feeling a rope. The second, who was touching the elephant’s ear, said, “No, it’s a fan!” A third blind man was touching the elephant’s tusk and said, “You’re both wrong. It’s a spear!” Finally, a fourth man touched the elephant’s trunk and exclaimed, “It’s a snake!”

It’s an amusing story that we’ve all heard before, but no matter how many times we hear it, we still struggle to truly take its message to heart. In the story, the blind men represent us, and the elephant represents God. We all grasp to understand God, and we all get a glimpse of who He is, but if we’re not careful, we can fall into the trap of assuming that the glimpse of God that we are capable of seeing is all there is to Him, and that everyone else should see Him the exact same way. And like the blind men, we end up shouting foolish things at each other instead of trying to understand the greater truth in front of us.

I’ve recently been reading the book of Job, and it reminded me of the reality of this problem. In the story, Job, a godly man, loses all of his earthly possessions, most of his family, and his own health in a very short period of time. While he is mourning, his friends come to comfort him, but instead they engage in grand theological debates about why Job is suffering even though he claims to have done no wrong. Job and his three friends argue until finally they run out of things to say. And then, Elihu, the youngest of the group, breaks the silence that he’s been exercising throughout the entire ordeal and calls all of them out.

Now I like Elihu. He’s the only of of Job’s friends that I approve of. When he steps forward to speak, he doesn’t try to convince Job that he has done something wrong to deserve his punishment like Job’s other friends did. He simply tells Job and his friends that their arguments are meaningless because they’re all based on inadequate understandings of God. You see, Job and his friends had fallen into the trap of thinking they completely understood God. They each had their own definitions of who God is and how He should work, and they refused to allow room for anything else. But Elihu pointed out the arrogance of these arguments.

“Stop and consider the wondrous works of God. Do you know how God lays His command upon them and causes the lightning of His cloud to shine? Do you know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge, you whose garments are hot when the earth is still because of the south wind? Can you, like Him, spread out the skies, hard as a cast metal mirror? Teach us what we shall say to Him; we cannot draw up our case because of darkness.” —Job 37:14–19

Elihu points out that there is always more to God than we can understand. Whatever we know about God, there is more to Him than that. Always. Even if we spend our entire lives trying to learn everything about Him, He is infinitely more complex and amazing than we could possibly imagine. How awesome a God is that?

So what do we do then? Do we give up on understanding God? Do we resort, as some people have, to defining God only by what He is not (such as, “God is not evil”)? No! We are each created with a deep yearning to know God and to be known by Him, and we can’t let the fact that God is not completely knowable stop us from seeking to learn as much about Him as we can. It’s in our DNA. He wants us to desire to know Him more. And so like the blind men in the story should have done, we collaborate with each other as we explore who God is to the best of our abilities.

And God has given us plenty of ways to know Him. On the most basic level, He makes Himself known through the awe and wonder of the universe. We can find Him in nature, in the stars, in a simple sunset. He also makes Himself known in us. He created each of us with a piece of Himself built in, and so we can seek to know Him better by trying to find Him reflected in those around us. He has revealed Himself through His living word, the Bible. We can study the scriptures and continually find out new things about Him there. He reveals Himself through the Holy Spirit, that still, small voice inside every Christian that guides us, reprimands us when we need it, and ultimately shows us more about who God is. And finally, He has revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. We can read about Him, talk to Him, and have a relationship with Him in which we know Him and are known by Him. What could be more fulfilling than that?

As we seek to learn more about God, we should always be careful not to fall into trap of thinking we understand exactly who God is, that we have the definition of God and everyone else is wrong. I think Brant Hansen (my all-time favorite Air1 radio host) put it best when he said, “If you think you completely understand God, then the God you worship doesn’t exist.” The God we serve is infinitely vast, infinitely complex, and infinitely wonderful. We should celebrate that as we seek to know Him more and ultimately become more like Him.