Showing
Off

You know,

while humans are growing up

they are encouraged to spend a lot of their time

trying to be better than other people.

They are told to work hard to achieve a skill,

or show patience in their efforts

to achieve something beyond the reach of others

who don't have the talent

or don't make the effort.

So when they finally achieve that skill

or reach the goal that they have targeted,

what's wrong with showing off?

If they are allowed to try to be the best at something

why can't they be proud if they get there?

They fill their lives with competitions,

but if they can't show off when they win

is there any point in having a competition in the first place?

Well, there is a big difference between displaying prowess,

showing others an exceptional talent

or acquired skill,

and showing off or vanity.

It's possible to show other people

the heights of what can be achieved,

while at the same time remaining modest

knowing how things could be improved

and comparing an achievement

to what might still be possible.

Then there are others

who are only interested in achievement for

its accompanying praise and glory.

Of course, the most obvious of competitions

are where sportspeople show off their skills,

which are greatly appreciated

by those who have tried to do similar things themselves.

People try to be

the best mountain climber,

the best swimmer, the best archer, the best cyclist,

the best footballer, the best videogamer.

But sportspeople get older

and lose their youthful strength

and speed and stamina,

and in the end the next best person comes along

and what was achieved becomes history.

And what remains is how success or failure has changed the way they are,

whether it has helped them to understand themselves

in a way that makes them better and happier people.

And it's not just sports that are competitive.

TV has all kinds of competitions

to discover the best cook,

the best hairdresser, the best sewer or the best singer,

and a very popular competition in the world at large

is seeing who is the best at making money,

the best at running a business.

And all these forms of competition

carry the same risk,

getting lost in praise and glory

and vanity.

Now Muhammad the Messenger was known to be

an excellent businessman

but he was not vain.

He knew that whatever he achieved

was only possible because God had made it so.

He knew that what was important

was the way that he lived, his Way of Life,

not other people's praise for his achievements.

Only one runner can be the best in the world at any time,

though millions may be trying.

For almost everyone that is trying

to do anything in the world

there is always someone who can do it better.

What is important to our lives is that we strive to do our best,

and remember that no matter how great our human achievements might be

they pale into insignificance

before the grandeur of God.

No matter how great we can be or even imagine

we can be sure that God is Greater.