Very Simple

Wednesday morning is a very important time in the National Football League. With Tuesday serving as players day off, Wednesday is when the official workweek of planning, preparing and practicing for the upcoming opponent begins. Those Wednesday morning meetings can be quite the marathon as coaches disseminate the scouting reports and game plans they’ve formulated over the previous two days.

Every Wednesday during the 2011 regular season, Browns coach Pat Shurmur would install the offensive game plan for the week.  Some plays would be new or opponent specific but others were staples of the offense. These plays would be in the game plan every single week. We had been practicing them since training camp and at this point they had been discussed ad nauseam.  He’d call them ” gimmes”.  No matter what defensive scheme we faced, these plays should guarantee us positive yardage.  Many times after explaining one of these plays (again ad nauseam) he would say “simple, very simple.”  Don’t over think this, don’t try and add to it, don’t alter it in anyway.  This play is proven, it has worked for decades, and it will continue to if you trust it. It doesn’t need your help, it doesn’t need your amendments, it just needs your faith and obedience.

Such is the Gospel! Who God is, who we are, and how we can be reconciled to God through the death, burial and resurrection of his son,Jesus Christ, is a very simple message. Repentance and faith is all that is required to pass from death to life, to be saved from the penalty of your sin, and to have a relationship with the holy God who created us. The Gospel is the power of salvation to ALL who believe (Romans 1:16). Very simple.

There have been times when I’ve struggled with the powerful simplicity of the Gospel.  Everything in my experience as an athlete has been works related.  You work hard, you get better. You get better, you play better. You play better, they pay better.  And the list goes on and on. Apply it to your situation and I guarantee that in some form or fashion, hard or excellent work warrants success or advancement in your field.  Though it may be true in our carnal lives it is not in our spiritual lives. Our salvation comes by GRACE through FAITH, as a free GIFT that can never be earned by WORKS (Ephesians 2:8,9).  Jesus says “I am the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the father except through me.”  He says it’s my way or the highway. Don’t add, subtract alter or amend. Just confess and turn away from your sin and put your faith in my death burial and resurrection as your only means of salvation and new life.  I am ENOUGH! Very simple.

One of Us

In 1995 pop singer-songwriter Joan Osborne released her Grammy nominated single “One of Us.”  Originally written by singer Eric Bazilian, “One of Us” proposed a series of questions challenging the listener’s convictions about and response to God.  As a teenager, I can remember hearing the song everywhere.  It was on a loop in the supermarkets, department stores, on television and on the radio.  If you can remember, sing the chorus with me: “What if God was one of us, just a slob like one of us, just a stranger on a bus, trying to make his way home.” A Billboard Hot 100 hit, the song garnered a diverse response across the country. Some felt it was a challenge to organized religion, while others applauded it as a practical and honest paradigm of mankind’s relationship with God.

The beauty of this song is its openness to interpretation and its knack for igniting self-reflection.  One can’t listen to those rhetorical questions without answering at least one!  As we celebrate Christmas today, the awesome thing about this song is that God WAS one of us.  In the fourth book of the New Testament, John, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples’ writes,  “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  He explains that this “Word” was present with God in the beginning and that this “Word” was and is, in very nature God.  Through the “Word” all things were created and in him is the life that is the light of the world (John 1).  Jesus is the “Word” John spoke of. God’s glory, love, plan and power are revealed to us through Jesus.  He was with God in the beginning, speaking the world into existence.  He is the second person of the trinity, and He became flesh and joined the human experience to reconcile us God.

Imprisoned in Rome for spreading the gospel, the apostle Paul, a converted persecutor of the church, wrote to the church in Philippi, encouraging them to imitate Christ’s ultimate example of humility and servant hood as they related to one another. He states, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
Rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:5-8)

This incarnation, God becoming flesh, is what we celebrate on Christmas. That the pre-existing Son of God, voluntarily and obediently took on human form, in the ultimate act of servant hood to save his lost and rebellious creation from eternal separation from himself.  He was fully God and fully man, experiencing all that it is to be human- emotions, pain, hunger and thirst- yet without sin. Jesus, God in the flesh, fulfilled God’s plan of salvation for all people, bearing the sins of the world on the cross and rising again to return to his rightful place seated at the right hand of the father.

I don’t know how Joan would answer the main question in the chorus of her Top 40 ballad but I know how I would.

What if God was one of us?-He WAS. He walked the earth over 2000 years ago. He was born of a virgin in the town of Bethlehem.  Like other boys, he grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. He claimed to be the Messiah, the savior of mankind.

Just a slob like one of us-According to the prophet Isaiah, Jesus was no Brad Pitt. Folks didn’t follow him because of his looks. He wasn’t handsome or attractive. On the contrary, he was despised and rejected. The son of a carpenter he had no designer robes, or BMW chariots. He was a common man.  (Isaiah 53)

Just a stranger on the bus-In fulfillment of hundreds of prophecies, the one who created us lived among us for 33 years and performed miraculous signs, yet we didn’t recognize him. We denied his deity, accused him of blasphemy and murdered him.  Today, like a stranger, we ignore him and deny him his rightful place in our lives.

Trying to make his way home-After his ministry, death, burial and resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven leaving his followers to “go and make disciples of all nations.” Though he is at home in heaven he left us the Holy Spirit to dwell inside us and give us the power to live for him.  He constantly intercedes for us because he loves us with no end. If we put our faith in him we will join him there one day.

Christmas truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Let the gifts we give and receive this season be a timely reminder of the newborn babe God gave.   He didn’t have to, but because of his great love and his desire for intimacy with us, he did the unthinkable. He became One of Us.

Silver Britches

Legendary “Silver Britches” first implemented in 1939 by Coach Wally Butts

During my junior season at University of Georgia, some of us players went to Coach Richt with a request.  After wearing the same uniform pants Saturday after Saturday we wanted to add a little variety to our game day uniforms.  Past Georgia teams had worn different combinations of black and red jersey and pants and we felt our current uniform choices were getting rather monotonous. In response to our request Coach Richt said we would continue wearing our silver britches so that when people watched us and they saw those Silver Britches they would know that “we are Georgia.”

You see, the silver britches debuted under Coach Wally Butts in 1939 and by the 50’s the phrase “Go, you Silver Britches” was etched in UGA lore.   In 1964 however, new Head Coach Vince Dooley scrapped the silver britches for plain white pants, only to reintroduce them in 1980, my birth year, and the year they celebrated their second National Championship. Like the hedges and the bulldog, the Silver Britches unmistakably identified us as Georgia Bulldogs.  Since I’ve graduated, Coach Richt has permitted a few alternative uniform color combinations. Recent Saturdays in Athens have seen the occasional black pant and jersey but the Silver Britches are and will continue to be a UGA tradition.

There is a popular Christian song with the chorus “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, Yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love.” Like a Georgia Bulldog’s Silver Britches, love should be an overwhelming characteristic of the Christian. Jesus states, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Scripture makes it abundantly clear that the love of God and the love of people should permeate our lives. The love of God sets the stage for all aspects of love in our lives. God is a God of order. He created love, four different types of them, three of which are mentioned in scripture. In order for us to love our spouses, family, neighbor, strangers and even enemies we must love him first. That’s why the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all heart, soul and strength.  According to Jesus, we know we love God by keeping His commandments. (John 14:21) Many of us say we love God, but live contrary to his principles.  We have affection for God but don’t want to alter our agendas even though he first loved us. God demonstrated his love for us, in that while we were sinners he sent his son to die for us.  Not because it FELT good to see Jesus bear our sin in a horrific death, but because he loved us. THIS is the self-sacrificial love we are to exhibit to one another as friends of Christ.

In the Greek, this type of love is translated ‘Agape’.  Agape love incites action on behalf of the subject. It prompts us to obedience.  Unlike our popular idea of love, it doesn’t always feel good or give you warm fuzzies inside. Agape love is an exercise of the will.  Before he ascended into heaven Jesus told his disciples that men would know they were his followers by their love.  In fact he commanded them to love one another.  When we love one another he is pleased and we experience the joy he desires us to have.  This joy comes when we put ourselves aside and put others first. Jesus put it like this; “Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12,13).  We are called to imitate Christ’s example of sacrificial love by making a conscious decision to love others.  In case the disciples didn’t get it the first time Jesus repeats himself in a few verses later. “This is my command: Love each other.” Like those silver britches our love should be a distinguishing mark that identifies us as a follower of Christ.

Scripture warns us that no matter what one may confess, a life without love for fellow man is a life void of love for God. 1 John 4:8 says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” As former enemies of God how can we, after experiencing his unmerited favor, not show love to our neighbor?  Since God loved us, we should love one another. I’m not saying it’s easy.  It’s a lifestyle, and a hard one at that!  I don’t know about your life but some people are hard to love! It requires a conscious decision to act. It requires a conscious decision to see people as God does.  We show this love in how we respond when offended and mistreated. We show love when we care enough about people to get out of our comfort zone and boldly tell people about the Gods plan of salvation.  We show love when we lay aside our pride, confess our transgressions and ask for forgiveness. We show love when we pray for and confront our brothers and sisters who are caught in sin. We exercise agape when we feed the hungry or clothe the naked. Whether it’s your time, money, or ambition, love will usually require that you put someone else above yourself.  Love others with an eternal perspective because people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

There is much confusion in the world today about what true love is.  Young men and women alike are searching for validation and acceptance in a world that thinks lust is true love. They will go to great lengths to be “loved” sometimes at their own peril.  Lives are being destroyed because we don’t know what love is. We’ve bought the lie that love is a feeling that we can fall in and out of.   This “love” albeit exciting for a season, is selfish, deceiving, and ultimately unfulfilling. The word love is so sexually loaded many of us know of no other kind. The truth is that without agape, eros (passionate love) is like a loaded gun in the hand of a toddler.  Love is one of Gods greatest gifts. The ability to love is what sets us apart from all other creation as image bearers of God.  My prayer is that I continue to learn to love like Christ so he can use me to the fullest. I’ve got a very long way to go! (I tend to hold grudges and be generally unloving at times).  When people come to church, they should see love in action and because of it, be drawn to a relationship with Jesus. It’s not always easy but it is our calling and our duty to show love to a world Satan is continually lying to.

To generations of loyal fans,  the Sliver Britches have been a distinguishing mark of Georgia Football.  Christians, we have a calling card too.  Let’s be known by our love!

 

For more distinguishing marks and characteristics of love, check out the “Love” chapter, 1 Corinthians 13.

 

Sudden Death

It was a frosty November night in Foxboro, Massachusetts. In a hotly contested, 2008 AFC east matchup, the Patriots played the Jets to a 31-31 tie resulting in their first and only overtime game of that season.

NFL overtime is unlike any in sports. Instead of playing an extra quarter or half to determine a winner, NFL teams enter sudden death.  Back then sudden death was pretty straightforward. The referee flipped a coin to decide who would receive the ball first.  Once play resumed, the first team to score won. If team A got the ball and scored, the game was over. Team B would not get to possess the ball. Obviously, if you are team B, you hoped your defense stopped team A and you got a chance to score.  In our case, unfortunately, we were team B, the Jets were team A, and in quintessential fashion, they won the toss, drove down the field, kicked a field goal and won the game 34-31. We never got a chance to go on offense. In the blink of an eye the game was over.  No more running. No more catching. No more tackling. No more beer. No more popcorn. No more cheering. No more jeering. You could have heard a mouse peeing on cotton it was so quiet in Gillette Stadium!

This is the suddenness of sudden death. When overtime starts no one ever knows what to expect.  Each decision, each play, each drive is of utmost importance because it may be your last. Throughout the history of the NFL, overtime results have run the gamut. The longest overtime, an AFC divisional game in 1971, lasted two extra quarters while the shortest was an eleven second touchdown pass play in 2012.  When a game goes into overtime there is an overwhelming sense of urgency. This is it! There are no more chances. There is no time for mistakes. Every play matters!

I once heard a story about Satan talking to his demons.  One particular demon wanted to come to earth and tell people there was no God. Satan responded that that wouldn’t work because in their souls, people inherently know they are created.  Then he said, “Well I’ll make them think heaven and hell do not exist.”  Satan replied that God has set eternity in the hearts of men and they know there is something after physical death. Finally the demon exclaimed, “I’ve got it! I’ll make them believe there is no hurry.  I’ll make them believe they have plenty of time before death or the rapture takes place.”  To that Satan said “Well done, my son, you are on your way.”   Now I’m not saying this story is one hundred percent accurate, but it makes a great point.  Satan’s not stupid.  He knows the truth but wants to preoccupy us with lies, confusion, and apathy long enough for our souls to perish.  Friends, we are living in a SUDDEN DEATH situation but many of us don’t even know it. And many of us who do know it aren’t acting like it.

Sudden death in a football game brings out the best in every player, coach, and fan.  No one is tired or bored. No one is thinking about his pain or lack of experience. Everyone is going all out for the win!  We cannot, as Christians, be nonchalant about the importance of reaching our lost brethren for Christ.  We must always remember that we may not have as much time left as we think and realize the final buzzer can go off at any time. Game over!

In 1984, Grammy Award winning gospel quartet, The Winans, released a song entitled Tomorrow.  Here’s an excerpt:

Jesus said
“Here I stand, won’t you please let me in?”
And you said
“I will tomorrow”
Jesus said
“I am he who supplies all your needs”
And you said
“I know, but tomorrow, ooh, tomorrow, ill give my life tomorrow,
I thought about today, but it’s so much easier to say”
Tomorrow, who promised you tomorrow?
Better choose the Lord today,
for tomorrow very well might be too late.

Tomorrow may be too late for two reasons: Christ’s return to earth or our departure from it. Jesus said that no man knows the day or the hour of His return but that we should always be ready (Matthew 24:36). Like a thief in the night, the Son of man will return when we least expect Him. Jesus issues this warning to the believer and unbeliever alike.  Unbelievers, today is the day of salvation. Believers, we must continue the work he has given us. What is this work? Being faithful stewards of our treasure and talents, and being his reconciliatory representatives on earth, as we continue to grow in our walk with Him (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).  The master is going to return, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be caught sleeping on the job!

Hebrews 9:27 drives the point home even further. “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of the world and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” We should be living with the urgency and fervor of sudden death football because our clocks are ticking and the next second is not promised.  The question is not IF, but WHEN we will see His face and face judgment. The answer could be sooner than you think.  We’ve all thought about our own mortality at some point or another. In our human experience, death usually comes suddenly. Even if it’s expected, it always seems to happen too soon.

What are you putting off for tomorrow that God wants you to do today?  The Spirit prompts us all in different ways.  If that means making a phone call, make it. If that means having a sensitive conversation with a coworker or family member, have it.  If that means, pouring out your heart to God and asking for your eternal security, pour it. If it means going somewhere uncomfortable, go there! If it means ending a relationship with someone or something that is pulling you down, end it! At times, it’s easy to think that we will always have more time to “get right” but tomorrow is not promised.  The sand is racing through the hourglass of life. Whether we realize it or not we are living in SUDDEN DEATH. Don’t be deceived.  We are in the overtime of our lives and much like that 2008 football game, none of us are guaranteed another chance to score.

Integrity of the Game

The current NFL Shield logo debuted in April 2008

We all know what this logo represents. There is nothing like it. I can remember being a kid and wanting ANYTHING that had the NFL shield on it. It didn’t matter what team, as long as it was an NFL product. I wanted NFL bed sheets and pillowcases, t-shirts and shorts; I would have worn NFL underwear if I had them. To me, the shield represented so many things. The sight of it conjured up lofty thoughts about the applause of the crowd, scoring touchdowns, big hits and playing the greatest sport ever invented at the highest level imaginable. I would pretend to be Jerry Rice making a diving catch in the corner of the end zone to win the Super Bowl, and immediately pick up the lamp I knocked over before my mom would see! The NFL truly is America’s game. It is our national pastime and the mere sight of the shield inspires fans young and old.

Soon after becoming NFL commissioner in 2006, Roger Goodell made his mission very clear. In his eyes, his duty was and is to protect the shield and protect the integrity of the game.  Over the last several years, some of his tactics and decisions have been questionable, but his mission is nonetheless a principled one.  America holds players, coaches and anyone else connected to the NFL in high esteem. We have a tremendous opportunity and challenge to influence this country for the good. In short, the commissioner’s job is to make sure nothing and no one jeopardizes the popularity, profitability, and progress of the business of football. The integrity of today’s game is not just about the success of the 2012 season though. Today’s game has benefited from the accomplishments of past players and the future of the game depends on how we conduct ourselves today.

Integrity, however, is about much more than our occupations whatever they may be. Integrity is a key ingredient in living a dynamic life. That’s why scripture says, “a good name is to be more desired than great wealth.” (Proverbs 22:1) Your name is more than an audible combination of consonants and vowels. Your name is an instant calling card. A good name is an inevitable result of a life lived with integrity.  To live with integrity means to live a life of wholeness or completeness. Your words and your actions have to agree; there is consistency with what you say you believe and what you do. Think about the people in your lives who you truly respect. Chances are they live with integrity. You can count on them to tell you truth and you trust that their motives are pure.  You know they do what they say they will do. They treat all people with respect. They are not deceitful or underhanded in business dealings. They are great leaders and friends because they have earned your trust. When it comes to our personal lives, the challenge to live with integrity has been put on the back-burner in America today.  We make excuses and say things like “a man will be a man”, or “you gotta do what you gotta do”, or my personal favorite “you can’t judge me!”  We somehow welcome challenges in other parts of our lives but shrink back and cower from the challenge to live with integrity.

Yes, I can tell you from experience that living with integrity is very difficult, but it’s not impossible and it’s not without reward.  The man who walks in integrity walks securely. (Proverbs 10:9) He doesn’t need to hide documents, cell phones, or certain relationships. He can be trusted away from home, alone in a hotel room. He doesn’t have to look over his shoulder or cover his tracks. His good reputation precedes him and gains him favor in his personal and business life. Most importantly, God is pleased when we live with integrity. He will give you wisdom and strength and will protect your walk. His spirit will be strong when we are weak.

If you haven’t been living with integrity, it’s not too late. Understand something. Integrity is not perfection. If it were, it would be impossible because the Bible says that all have sinned. Never let guilt or fear of repeating the mistakes of the past, keep you from future glory and freedom. Integrity is not about establishing an immaculate record of right and moral actions. Integrity is, however, about pureness of heart. We will only live with integrity when our heart, the sum total of our desires, yearnings, and inner being, is seeking God. With all our heart we must seek Him. Then and only then will we make the shift from simply doing what’s right because we know it to be so, to doing what’s right because our character has been transformed from the inside out.  This is true integrity.

Finally, our integrity is not just about us. The lives of our friends, family and even our children depend on the choices we make. Like the NFL players, coaches, referees and front office personnel, who must protect the integrity of the GAME, we as Christ followers must protect the integrity of HIS NAME. As Paul charged the church in Corinth, we are Christ’s ambassadors sent with his message of reconciliation to the world.  People will be drawn to Christ as we spread the Gospel and strive to live a life above reproach.  Proverbs 20:7 reads,“ A righteous man who walks in his integrity – How blessed are his sons after him.” Our children will be directly affected by the way we choose to live our lives.  Sons and daughters will be blessed to see their parents choosing to live for the Lord.  What a generational legacy we can leave for them and their future children!  Live your life intentionally! Dare to be different! The world is searching for truth, authenticity and conviction. Our integrity lays the groundwork for the Spirit to do it’s work in the hearts of people watching us.

No matter how hard Roger Goodell works to protect the integrity of the game, the NFL, like all things will some day pass away.  On the contrary, deciding to live a life of integrity will undoubtedly bring eternal good for you and all those you influence. It will be a decision you will never regret.

Bling Bling

The year was 1999.  Cash Money Records artist BG had just released the hit song Bling Bling which made the already coined term iconic.  I was a freshman at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.  I can remember riding in the car, sitting in my dorm room, or getting ready for practice with my teammates bobbing my head to the lyrics, “bling bling, every time I come around your city bling bling, pinky ring worth about fifty (thousand dollars), bling bling, every time I buy a new ride, bling bling, Lorinsers on Yokahama tires.”

As a college freshman I definitely didn’t have a dollar to my name, (much less any bling) but that song made me feel like I had a million bucks!  The idea of bling brought swag, pride, and a certain level of respect.  I didn’t have any, so the plan was for me and my roommate to go to Claire’s in the mall and get our ears pierced with some nice expensive looking cubic zirconium!  In the end, I was the only one with the courage to go through with the piercing, but that’s another story!  I finally had my bling, and the appearance of wealth and style…. and it only cost me twenty dollars!

Before you laugh too hard at me, realize Satan has gotten millions with this trick before me. Maybe you’ve even fallen for it.

It was no different in the early church. Around AD 90, the apostle John writes a letter of encouragement and instruction to a group of Christians in Ephesus, warning them to be on guard against the false teachers amongst them.  An aged man by this time, he cautions them that love for the world and love for the Father cannot coexist.  1 John 2:16 says, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of the God lives forever.”

As humans we inherently seek validation for our existence.  We know we are here on earth for a reason, but we oftentimes can’t figure out why.  Instead of turning to our Creator, we look to fulfill ourselves by pleasing our flesh, growing our wealth, and being prideful in our work.   God says that all these things will eventually fade away and be destroyed.  Satan knows that if he can preoccupy us with chasing after these things, we will have no time to do God’s will and receive true life and fulfillment.

In a moment of soul-searching and utter despair, Solomon, the wisest, richest, most accomplished man who ever lived cried in a loud voice, “Everything is meaningless, utterly meaningless!”  He had tried everything for fulfillment. He had gathered women (700 wives, 300 concubines), accumulated bling (25 tons of Gold/yr), and made great accomplishments (built large homes, cities, gained academic knowledge).  However, in the end he came to this conclusion about the meaning of life:  “Fear God and keep his commandments, 
for this is the duty of all mankind.  For God will bring every deed into judgment, 
including every hidden thing, 
whether it is good or evil.”

God created us and He is the only one who can give us true lasting purpose and meaning.  Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with having nice things or striving to be the very best at your chosen profession. There is something wrong, however, when those things have you!

Maybe you’ve been looking for love or validation in all the wrong places.  Like me, you’ve accumulated bling, or pleasured your flesh to no end.  Maybe you’ve got more letters behind your name then the alphabet.  You may be climbing the corporate ladder or maybe you’ve already arrived.  Maybe you’re an athlete, totally dedicated to becoming the best you can be.  You’ve won a state or national championship. You may have a Super Bowl ring or two. Despite how good and together things may look on the outside, your alone times are filled with fear, emptiness, and confusion.  Understand something. This world can and will make you happy.  It will make you feel good and it will stroke your ego, but it can’t give you true identity and you will continually need the next fix.  Only a true relationship with your maker, through the shed blood of His son, will give you eternal purpose and security. This, my friends, is what true life is all about. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life will all pass away. If that’s what your eternal hope is in, you will pass away along with it. And by the way, those blingy earrings I had, aren’t so blingy any more.  Guess old Solomon was right.

Training Room

Over the course of my career I have spent countless hours in the training room. Injuries are a part of the game and I have had my fair share.  I can remember being a rookie and being told by the veterans to “stay out of the training room.”  Nobody wants to be “that guy” who is always injured and in the training room.  In fact, there was a big blue and white sign in the training room that said, “durability is more important than ability.” If that’s not a subtle warning I don’t know what is. As the seasons and years have passed by, I have started to realize something. There are two types of players in the training room, those who are mending and those who are maintaining.  Being in the training room is not necessarily a bad thing. On the contrary a daily dose of training room time can keep you on the field everyday, which is the goal of every player.  You see the training room is not just for those who are injured; it’s also for those who want stay healthy. Cold tubs, hot tubs, ice, ultrasound, massage, Normatec, SwimEx, stretching and even medications; all of these things are in the training room and all these things will help you rehab and mend when your injured, and recover and maintain when your well.  The men, who survive in this league, inevitably learn to incorporate training room maintenance into their daily routine. They do not wait for an injury to occur to make their training room debut.  Instead they frequent the training room, in hopes of remaining durable and dependable through the course of a rigorous, sixteen game NFL season.

For the follower of Christ, the metaphorical training room and its treatments can represent a few different things.  It can be the Word of God, which keeps us on the straight and narrow, and is a lamp to our feet and a light to our paths (Psalm 119:105). It could represent the need for the encouragement, strengthening and rebuke we get through Christian fellowship (Hebrews 10:25).  It could even represent the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which helps us in our weaknesses, guides us in our prayer and produces fruit in our lives. Like the athlete, regular trips to the God’s “training room” help us maintain a healthy spiritual life. In Deuteronomy 5, the children of Israel, Gods chosen people, were encamped on the east bank of the Jordan River, preparing to possess the promise land of Canaan. Because of their disobedience they had wandered in the desert for 40 years prior, a whole generation missing out on what God had for them. Through his servant Moses, God instructed the people, a few million of them, to love Him with all their heart soul and strength. He admonished them to take His commandments to heart, to teach them to their children, to talk about them day and night, to tie them on their hands and foreheads, and to write them on the doorframes of their homes.  Like the training room, God wanted His people to make Him a priority in their daily routine.  Only then would they have success in the new land. The people would face many great challenges. They would encounter fortified cities, powerful armies and giants.  They would also encounter polytheism, the worship of many gods, and all kinds of immorality.  God knew the good plans he had for them, and that wandering from Him would destroy that plan and cause much anguish and death.  Maintaining their spiritual health, by totally committing to God, was their only protection against the temptations, doubt, fear and possible destruction they were about to face in Canaan.

As Christians our ultimate goal is to become more Christ like.  Like a marital relationship, the more time I spend with him, praying, reading or listening to His word, worshipping, praising, or witnessing, the closer I grow to Him.  The closer I grow to Him, the more I act, think and see things from an eternal perspective. Habitual sin is removed from my life. I experience joy and peace.  My thoughts, responses, and actions are purer. But even then, when times are good, I still fall short in so many ways.  In the NFL injuries sometimes just happen.  An athlete could be in the best shape of his life, hydrated, warm and loose. He could have been on the strictest of diets, maintaining his body in the training room, and getting proper rest when suddenly the injury bug bites. Another player may fall on his knee, a hamstring could tear, or a joint could unexpectedly dislocate. The next day he’ll be back in the training room doing many of the same treatments he was doing before, only this time the focus will be on mending instead of maintaining.   Though he did everything in his power to ensure health in his profession, he is still human, and he still plays a dangerous game.

Even though we are not OF this world any longer, we are still IN this fallen world and we will have “freak injuries” in our spiritual lives from time to time. We will fall short. We will make mistakes.  In some respects, we are still Works In Progress. The children of Israel fell short many times. Though God gave them his law and promised their success with obedience, they continued on a cycle of sin, repentance and forgiveness for generations and generations.  When those times come in our lives, we must get in the training room!  If we have fallen away, we must get back to those “maintenance” treatments we were doing before so the Holy Spirit can rehab us back to full strength.  Satan would love nothing more than for us to isolate ourselves in embarrassment and guilt.  These are the times when we need prayer, Bible study, worship, service and fellowship the most. Like an NFL season, the Christian life is a strenuous race, complete with peaks and valleys.  Winning the race requires perseverance, purpose and discipline. Whether times are good or bad, be encouraged. God has given us everything we need to live a life pleasing to Him.  Always remember, whether you are mending or maintaining, we all need to spend some time in the training room.