We live in a world which prioritizes and promotes self-glorification. People are seemingly active in pointing this out, yet society is quite hesitant to act upon it. More and more, it seems that there is a clear choice to be made between winning and doing the right thing.

In playing basketball, I have idolized many professional players throughout my life. From an early age, I have tried to model my own game after my favorite player – Kobe Bryant. Bryant is widely considered to be one of the best players of the 21st century, racking up five NBA Championships, over a dozen All-NBA mentions, and MVP titles for all-star games, NBA Finals, and for complete seasons. He averages over 25 points per game for his career.

Now why am I telling you this? Because through all this success, he averaged below 5 assists per game. Conversely, John Stockton, in his 19 years of play, averaged nearly 11 assists per game. Though selected to the all-star team roughly every other year of his career, he was never rewarded with a league MVP honor, nor won an NBA championship.

Now, my true colors as a basketball fan are becoming all too apparent, so I will get back to my main point. Bryant lives his life being called selfish, ignorant of teammates, and often a player who acts in the gray area of the rules. With that said, he has always been a winner. Winning follows him like a disease.

Stockton is widely considered to be the best to ever play his position (point guard), yet still did not attain the holy grail of basketball players (an NBA championship). So did Kobe’s selfish play and defiance for equal scoring opportunities get outweighed by his victories? Was Stockton’s “team-first” mentality wasted on 19 underwhelming seasons?

This of course is all just a metaphor, but it has been on my mind as of late. As Christians, we are called to act in a way pleasing to God on a daily basis; stewardship is the backbone of our daily routine.

In my life, I often let my pride and desire to win outlast my morals, and I have seen negative outcomes as a direct result.

Through this ever-present battle, I have been constantly directed in my faith to Mark 8:36: “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?”

At the end of the day, it becomes clear to me that the old adage of “when much is given, much is expected” should be taken as seriously as it can be. Power can be misused, and I believe that God has gifted us all with our own respective powers and strengths.

So with seven months of school left, I look to not only make a change in my life, but I also encourage readers to understand that putting others ahead of personal gain results in a payoff much more lasting than anything this world can provide.

Follow the Feather via Twitter: @thefeather. This writer can be reached via Twitter: @Grossman_Chris.

For more opinions, read the Oct. 17 article, College Corner: More bang for your buck.