The 2017 Oscars lasted for more than three and a half hours. There were awards given in twenty four categories. After being criticized for a lack of diversity in the 2016 Academy Awards, the Oscars for best actress and actor in a supporting role went to African-Americans, as well as the Oscar for best movie. However, most of the talk about the 2017 Oscars has been about the last 4 minutes. Out of more than 210 minutes of speeches, jokes, performances, and envelop opening, people are talking about what took place for less than 2% of the total air time of the awards show. There are some valuable lessons that we can learn as a result of this intriguing phenomenon.
- Do your best to finish well. The good that you have done can be tarnished by how you live the last 2% of your life. And since we never know when the end will be in life, live all of life well. Fight the good fight, finish your course, and keep the faith.
- Even if it is not your fault, it is your responsibility. Although someone else handed Warren Beatty the wrong envelope, he made it a point to come back and explain what happened. Jimmy Kimmel also came back and apologized for what happened, although he was sitting in the audience at the time of the incident. Many times we feel that if it is not our fault, it is not our responsibility.
However, God calls us to take responsibility for things that are not our fault. We are to take the responsibility of being peacemakers, even when the conflict does not involve us (Matthew 5:9). We have a responsibility to restore our brothers and sisters who are entangled in their faults (Galatians 6:1-2). Taking responsibility is not the same thing as taking the blame. We are not to own the mistakes of others. However, we can get involved in mitigating the damage caused. - Remember that the praise of men is temporary, but the favor of God eternal. People will take you on an emotional rollercoaster. They will praise you and then the next moment criticize you. They will reward you and then disappoint you. But God is consistent, perfect, and infallible. He never makes a mistake. He is just and fair. And when He rewards us with a crown of righteousness, it can never be taken away.
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