What Have You Done for Me Lately?
This week the internet came alive with reports that the New England Patriot owner Robert Kraft plans to fire head coach Bill Belichick at the end of this NFL season. NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran broke the story early this week explaining that the decision had been made after New England lost to Indianapolis in Germany. The noise on the internet comes from both Patriot fans and nonfans who have lived through Belichick’s legacy. This is a very clear case of “What have you done for me lately?”
The Legacy of Bill Belichick
To date, Bill Belichick is only the third NFL head coach with 300+ career regular season wins (302), joining Don Shula (328) and George Halas (318). He is first in post-season wins (31), and second in total games won (333). As the current longest tenured coach in the NFL, Belichick has led the New England Patriots to nine Super Bowls appearances and won six (2002, 2004, 2005, 2015, 2017, 2019), the most for any NFL coach in history. These numbers alone do not capture the total dominance of the New England Patriots with Belichick as coach and Tom Brady as quarterback. Over that time, the Patriots won 17 AFC East titles and played in 13 AFC Championships, winning 9.
Bill Belichick is only four years removed from his last Super Bowl win.
Yet, owner Robert Kraft reportedly plans to fire him at the end of this season.
In other words, what have you done for me lately?
The “What Have You Done for Me Lately?” Attitude
I was as shocked as anyone about the news coming from the Patriots. Literally, this guy is the GOAT of all coaches this century. However, because the Patriots have underperformed the past three seasons, Kraft is reportedly firing him. How is this possible?
Lots of people have the attitude of “What have you done for me lately?” In fact, related to Belichick, one magazine writer wrote, “Bill Belichick Is About to Get Fired, and Nobody Cares.” To be honest, part of that is Belichick’s fault with previous scandals and a gruff exterior. However, part of it is simply the attitude of the age, “What have you done for me lately?”
What about you, Christian? Is your life also dominated by this general attitude, “What have you done for me lately?” Let’s test our question.
What Have You Done for Me Lately, __________?
God?
Are you excited to serve God and follow Him when He is answering your prayers like you want Him to do so? Or, are you like the children of Israel? As Psalm 106 explains, the children of Israel would worship God when He was doing miraculous things for them and would slowly move away from Him when He wasn’t seemingly doing all or providing all they desired. They would get distracted by other shiny desires in their hearts and chase after them. What about you? Has God disappointed you so that now you no longer serve Him, want to be with Him, or otherwise follow Him?
Church?
Are you less passionate about your church today than what you have been in the past? What caused it? Did someone disappoint you? Did someone somehow offend you, frustrate you, not do what you expected them to do, or was it something else? Were there people in the church that acted like imperfect saints, sinners, and sufferers? Did someone do something different than your preference? In our churches, it is easy to allow something to happen and that cause us to take a back seat either physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Over the past thirty-three years (and certainly before that as I observed church life from a pastor’s home), I have seen so much of this. People who “used to” volunteer, come to church, seemingly love us, or whatever it is. I have also observed that this is often a result of something happening that begins the process of the “cool off” for the church (and sometimes God).
Spouse?
Have you grown weary with your spouse? Are you tired of her or him as well? Sometimes this is daily or weekly. All is well when you can tell the person is thoughtful, sensitive, or especially caring, then things change when you perceive it to be otherwise. Favorite meal? Great. Leaving dirty clothes all over the house? Cold. Honey do list completed? Fantastic. No sex tonight? Grumpy. These marriages go up and down where each one is judging the other spouse as to whether or not today’s “needs” are met or “love language” spoken.
Consider all these categories
What have you done for me lately, …
- Children?
- In-laws?
- Family?
- Friends?
- Job?
- Employer?
- Employees?
- Neighbors?
- Community?
- ______________? (whatever category you have not thought of in the back of your mind)
Striving for Faithfulness
Rather than just looking at the most recent thing someone has done for you, why don’t you just shoot for faithfulness and loyalty to those around you? Yes, life includes accountability. Accountability cannot overlook ineptitude in a position, sin, or struggle. But at the same time, we should be driven to consider others from a standpoint of care, mercy, grace, and love – especially when we see them suffer. Let me suggest two verses to ponder:
In relationship to God
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord (1 Cor 15:58).
In relationship to Others
But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it (1 Cor 12:24-26).
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KevinCarson.com | Wisdom for Life in Christ Together
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