Get In the Game!

Next Saturday, I’m going to be up early. I’m going to hand out pop tarts, load my Bible bowl team into the corps van, and head off to DHQ for a scrimmage. You’ve probably never heard of the Flemington Bible bowl team – we’ve never set any scoring records or even won any tournaments – to be honest, we’ve only ever been to three scrimmages – and we’ve placed last in two out of three of those – but there’s something about the Flemington team that makes me strangely proud of them [and not the fact that I’m their coach!].

We are studying the Book of Matthew this year, but if I had to choose a “theme verse” for my team, it would be Hebrews 12:1-3. Our Bible bowl team may not win tournaments or set records, but they DO do something that I respect so much. They GET IN THE GAME. They never just give up and go home. Those kids personify Hebrews 12:1-3. They prepare their information; they participate in their competition; and they persevere, despite their underdog status.

There’s a lot that we Christ-followers can learn from this Bible Bowl team – if we prepare, participate, and persevere, we will be set for our participation in the Game of Life. Now you might be sitting there thinking “life’s no game ck” – and I’d have to agree….It’s more of a RACE…at least that’s what the writer of Hebrews likened it to. And if we’re going to be good stewards of the life that’s been given to us, we need to get off our butts and get in the game!

Before we can get in the game, we have to take care of a few things. An average, middle aged, less than active person can’t just wake up one morning and decide to run the Boston Marathon – that would be incredibly stupid [and would most likely result in injury to that out of shape body!]. As Christ-Followers, we can’t just wake up one morning and decide, ‘oh, today I’m going to live a holy life’ and then just go at it full speed. We have to prepare our hearts, our lives, for this race. Verse one says that we do this by getting rid of everything that slows us down – especially the sin that distracts us. And isn’t it easy to be distracted! Preparing to run a Godly, holy life requires discipline on our part! We have to do weight training – don’t be shy! Actually PICK UP that Bible and read it! It’s spiritual exercise – weight training for our hearts and minds! And don’t forget that Cardio – prayer! It’s not just good for the heart – it’s Fuel for the Soul!

I just spent 2 years stationed in Rural Northern Maine, and every spring, there’s a phenomenon known the “trek across Maine”….to those people who live in the state, it’s known simply as “the trek’. Literally hundreds of people will spend three days traveling from one end of the state to the other…..on bicycles. It’s a three day marathon, and at the end of every day, the numbers that stick with it grow smaller and smaller. By the end of the race, it’s easy to who has spent time preparing and who hasn’t. Those who prepare, finish strong…those who haven’t prepared….let’s just say that the first aide stops along the route are well populated! There’s a secret that these cyclists have learned about trekking across Maine….they don’t carry anything more than necessisary on their bikes. As Christ Followers, it’s our responsibility to get rid of all the ‘junk’ that holds us back from a life of holiness. Once we’ve done that, and we’ve had our daily workout, we’re prepared to get in the game.

It would seem pretty pointless to get rid of all that extra junk, work out extra hard, and then show up at the game only to sit on the sidelines, wouldn’t it. If we’re going to do all the preparation, we have to actually get IN the game and participate! In verse two, it says that we have to run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up. The writer of Hebrews used a very interesting Greek word [that I absolutely can’t pronounce, so I’m not even going to attempt] for the type of race he is talking about. It speaks of PERSONAL INTEREST….of something close to the heart of the runner. The lord hasn’t called us to run someone else’s race….to live the life that someone else sets up for us. He desires for each of us to live out the specific purpose, the specific calling that he designed us to live. He also doesn’t want us to sit on the sidelines of life and be afraid to live, to run, either! A runner doesn’t get very far by hanging out in the starting blocks!

I’m going to make a confession here…..I am an Andy Griffith Fan. I just love when the reruns come on nick at night. Well, there was one episode of Andy Griffith that came on while I was thinking about what it meant to really get in the game…..and it was the one where Opie was afraid to ask the other boys if he could play baseball with them. He just sat on the curb all day with his glove, but he never asked to get in the game. And at the end of the day, when he went home to talk to Aunt Bea, he felt terrible! In all her wisdom, Aunt Bea gave him a cookie, some milk, and some advice. She told him that he’d feel much better if he were playing instead of watching. To make a long episode very short, Opie ended up asking the boys if he could play and the last scene of the programme showed him up to bat, a smile on his face, as he hit one out of the lot. He took a chance, brought his prepared equipment, and finally got in the game!

After an athlete has been participating for a while, fatigue starts in and begins to take a toll on the body. The same thing is true for Christ Followers who are running the race of life. That’s where verse three comes in – it tells us to think about Jesus, who endured opposition from sinners, so that we don’t become tired and give up. Living life is not an easy thing! We can become spiritually fatigued as easily as becoming physically exhausted. It’s easy to run when the ground is smooth and flat and life is going well…..not so easy thought, when troubles come, when we’re slapped with things we don’t understand. But verse three reminds us to Consider Jesus. When we become fatigued and discouraged by life’s troubles, consider what Christ suffered from sinners. If we’re still breathing, than He’s still in control…and THAT’S where our focus needs to be! He is our focus – our motivation – our encouragement – our inspiration. He endured to the end, even through death on a cross. He never gave up, and neither should we! We CAN persevere!

Garth Brooks sings a song called “standing outside the fire’….and I absolutely love the music video that goes with it. It tells the story of a high school boy who joins the track team. This was no ordinary boy though. He had Down syndrome, and he joined the “regular” team, even though his father was worried that he might get hurt or made fun of…..Nothing would stop this boy from trying, and wouldn’t you know, he made it on the team. Finally, after all his training and hard work, the day for him to get in the game had arrived. He got all set up in the starting blocks. The pistol went off, and that boy took off! He wasn’t Jesse Owens or anything, but he was actually looking like he might take the lead! But all of a sudden, he tripped and fell face first on the track. The coach ran out to help him get off the track, but the boy shook him off. He was bruised and bloody from the fall, but that determined young man got up and finished the race!!!! And at the finish line stood his father, who the boy had fixed his eyes on for the entire race. He ran straight into his father’s arms. He had a focus….he persevered through his limitations and his setback so that he could reach his goal.

There’s a wonderful old chorus in our songbook that says ‘turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.’ What better way to describe the race of life, and the perseverance that gets us through it in triumph!

This race of life is not easy. We don’t all start at the same time – we won’t all finish at the same time….but it’s not finishing first that matters. We don’t have to be the fastest, the best, the most graceful….we just have to FINISH the race. This race isn’t given to the swift or the battles of life to the strong….but to the ones who endure to the end. Maybe you don’t feel like you can do it…..there’s just too much junk [believe me, i feel like that sometimes!]…too much baggage there…..well, perhaps there is. All of have garbage that we are still hauling around with us. It’s like a little part of our mind is like a backpack, and in it are all of our life races setbacks…all our failures, our disappointments….our struggles and so much more. Many of us can pull out the first time we were rejected. Maybe you can pull out the exact name of the man who broke our heart…..or the name, date, time and phone number of that woman who used you…..you remember the time you blew it big time at work……that time you ruined a friendship over something stupid. It’s easy for us to remember the worst things that happen because we tend to hold on to them……..and if we’re not careful, we’ll end up sitting on the sidelines of our own lives, holding our bags of junk, unprepared to get in the game….unable to persevere.

To you I’d say this -- ‘turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. Let go of that bag of junk. It’s never too late to get on the right track to run your life’s race. Just focus your eyes on Jesus, whether it’s for the first time, or maybe we've just gotten a little off track and need to look back at the REAL target…

Living with an Active Voice

This is NOT a journal. So if you've stumbled on this blog hoping to hear what i had for breakfast this morning or how pissed i am because of somethingthat happened at the office, you might as well move on. This is a writing venture. For a long while now, the Lord has laid it on my heart to write....write what, He and i are still working that out....but it has become increasingly clear that the format for what he is going to give me will be this form.

The Lord's voice is living and active. He still speaks. He speaks in and through his children who are willing to listen....he speaks through his word...he speaks through his creation...there are many ways in which God speaks...we just have to practice listening to him.

That's what this writing venture is....an exercise in hearing, listening to, and speaking words from the Lord. What he shares with me, gives me, and sometimes, what I ask HIM. This is a GOD THING.....not a blog thing, not a CK thing, not anything that would resemble a meaningless prattling on journal.

I seriously considered turning the 'post comments' feature off on this blog. The way i saw it was that there are enough other means of communicating with me if you're someone who already knows me that those lines of direction would remain open.....but then it occured to me that if you're reading this blog, chances are good that you've been GIVEN this address by me because I trust you and value your thoughts......and imput from your active voices too.

This will most likely be the last post that is directed at readers..........