content

Former pro quarterback Kenny Stabler once said, "In the NFL, there are 25 guys who can throw better than I can. But I can make guys win." I guess that's what it comes down to, isn't it? Being able to win. In the NFL, as in life, content is more valuable than form.

There was once a district manager of a chain of retail stores whose managers were rewarded financially for outstanding sales performance. He recently made the comment, "A number of managers try to score points with me by having the most tidy store—as if that will make up for lack of profit."

People have a tendency to value form over content. Most real estate professionals will tell you that on a percentage basis, a new coat of paint will increase a home's selling price far more than new plumbing will.

This is a trap we must refuse to be caught in. In the Old Testament, we are reminded that God's priorities are different than ours. God said to Samuel...

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).

We may sometimes allow ourselves to be satisfied with good form—a handsome family, a nice car, a pretty house, a good job, a respectable religious affiliation, a dignified manner of worship—but God reminds us that the content of our lives is much more important than surface level appearances. Samuel said...

"To obey is better than sacrifice" (1 Samuel 15:22).

Our ongoing challenge is to strive to improve the content of our lives, rather than merely settling for good form. It means that we should make it our aim—in our family, in our career, in our relationship with God—to live life from the inside out.