There’s no doubt that Georgia’s favorite flower, at least this week, is the rose.  Now that the Georgia Bulldogs have proven they can win the Big 12 style shootout, they’ll face a familiar foe in Alabama when they meet on Monday to decide who is the premier football team in the country in college football’s National Championship.  But, while every Dawg fan’s heart is bursting with joy, pride and expectation, there are a few observations concerning the events that took place at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains in Pasadena on Monday evening.

Almost immediately, Georgia fans were irritated by the antics of a young man named Baker Mayfield.  From arrogantly barking that the Oklahoma Sooners were not underdogs (which was clearly incorrect since all the experts agreed that Georgia was the favored victor) to bulldozing his way into the warmup space of Georgia receivers prior to the game, Mayfield ensured that the number of Georgia fans that would hold a positive opinion of him would be drastically reduced by the time the game was decided and the lights were out.

During the course of the game, he could be seen celebrating with reckless abandon and was even caught on national television using his finger in a slicing motion across his throat and mouthing, “It’s over.”  Interesting, given that, when this occurred, there was nearly two minutes left in the first quarter of play and his team’s lead was only seven points…seven.

Now, let’s be clear.  I have nothing personal against Baker Mayfield.  I’ve never met this young man and have no idea what his standards of relational interaction may be.  And, to be perfectly balanced, he did make his way to Georgia’s Jake Fromm at the conclusion of the game and congratulated him on the victory.  I’ll give him credit for that.  However, the impression left on many and I must admit myself as well is poor and that could have been avoided.

I’ve learned through the years that we learn just as much about what we shouldn’t do as what we should simply by observing the speech and actions of those around us.  There are people throughout my life that I try to emulate.  There are also individuals who have served me well by painting a perfect picture of what shouldn’t be done or said.

One of the most well-known verses in all of Scripture is found in 1 Peter 5:6.  The Bible says, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time:”  We would all do well, myself included, to heed this counsel on a daily basis.    Saint Augustine said, “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.”  Unfortunately, humility seems to be a lost virtue in our modern-day society.

We’re learning how to live in a world where everyone thinks they’re right, truth is relative and all are experts on every subject.  Our culture has been saturated with arrogant, boastful claims of superiority and the pride that resides in men’s hearts is at an all-time high.  But while humility may have been lost in this modern-day, it is still commanded by the Word of God and we’re warned about the effects of refusing to let the Spirit of God bring about this quality in our lives.

The Book of Proverbs is clear when it tells us that pride is dangerous and destructive.  Solomon said, “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall (16:18).”  This principle of God’s Word has not changed and must be heeded if we expect the blessings and favor of God to rest on our lives.

As I mentioned earlier, people we interact with teach us every day.  They teach us what to say and when to speak.  They teach us when to act and when to be still.  They show us the right things to do.  They also display for us foolish actions that are to be avoided.  My prayer is that God would create a godly humility in my life.  I don’t want to be responsible for cultivating a negative opinion of my life simply because I thought I knew it all or were too good to listen and learn from someone else.

This is a problem that is slowly causing our way of life to crumble.  Pride-filled bullies wreak havoc everywhere they go.  It happens in families.  It happens in workplaces.  It happens in schools.  And, unfortunately, it happens in churches.  Most problems in marriages occur because one or both marriage partners refuse to listen to the needs and concerns of their spouse.  Millions of Americans hate the jobs they’re required to work daily because of pride-stricken individuals who seem to be determined to make everyone else around them miserable.  Problems in schools are many times automatically the fault of the teacher or the board or the system when, in actuality, our schools would be a lot more successful if parents would fill their roles sufficiently at home.  There are more churches closing annually now than ever before in American history.  Many times, it’s because bullies refuse to heed the Word of God and selfishly demand their own way with no regard for the health of the church.

When you bully your way through life, you may get your way here and there.  But you also paint a picture of your life for others to see.  Before we give someone a piece of our minds, we should take a moment to consider what part of our testimony we’ll lose as a result.  Before we post that passive-aggressive rant on social media, maybe we should consider that, while our words will be heard by our enemies, they’ll also be heard by everyone else and either push our testimony to be stronger or begin to break down the foundation of the faith we profess.  As believers, I believe that God cares about how we act, what we say, the actions we take and the way we treat people.  After all, the way you treat people matters.

I’ve listened to many commentators since the Rose Bowl on Monday and many have noted that Baker Mayfield is a bully.  When things were going well, he was the life of the party and brazenly antagonized his opponent.  When things didn’t look so well, he retreated and pouted.  Baker Mayfield is not the first bully and won’t be the last.  But he serves us well when we consider what we shouldn’t do, what we shouldn’t say and maybe how we shouldn’t try to display our character.

When I think of young men like Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, Jake Fromm and others, I’m reminded of how college football is still blessed with young men who were raised right.  They understood during the Rose Bowl and the entire college football season that the 2017 campaign was bigger than themselves.  They understood that there is no “I” in team.  They understood the immeasurable qualities of humility and professionalism.  As Christians, we ought to see life through the same lens, which is not rose-colored by the way.  The mission we’ve been given by Christ is bigger than ourselves and has nothing to do with our personal preferences.

Serve God, work hard, stay humble, treat others with respect, don’t gloat when you get your way, don’t pout when you don’t.  Those are good principles to live by.  It keeps us from being bullies.  It keeps us from hurting others.  It keeps us from destroying our own testimonies.  The Bible says that a tree is known by its fruit.  That truth has never been more true than now.  It’s important for us to remember that, when you heed the Word of God, resist pride and choose humility, you’ll always come up smelling like a rose.  When you choose to be selfish, prideful and arrogant, you wind up on the wrong side of victory.  Don’t believe me…just ask Baker Mayfield.