Are You Ready for Some Football?

In West Texas, football is not a game, but a way of life. My family lived it, too. We spent many Friday nights on the road to watch my uncle coach. Greg was a phenomenal coach, and his 23-year coaching record was 174-64-2. Coaching was not a job to him. It was a ministry. He was very active in FCA and used the time on the field to teach much more about life than he did about football. In football there are two teams. Each team has an opponent, a coach, a goal and a group of cheerleaders. There are rules and there are rewards. The same things are true in our Christian lives. We, as believers, are a team. We must work together to win. Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear ye one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ”. We have an opponent, and he is not just playing. According to John 10:10, he comes to steal, kill and destroy. Rather than touchdowns, our goal in life is to bring salvation, restoration and healing to others.(2 Cor. 5:18, Mark 16:15, James 5). In Hebrews 11, the writer describes the great cloud of witnesses cheering us on. Yes, there are rules to be followed and our reward is abundant life here and a home with Him. As a reward in football, a team will receive a trophy, a write up in the newspaper, and fame. As Christians, we are promised a crown of life. This is what we read in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” God meets us where we are and teaches us from the things we understand. Like Uncle Greg taught his players and coaches, take the lessons from the gridiron and use them every day. A final note: The most meaningful thing Greg ever did for me was to send me a telegram when I went to state track meet. It said, “We are the same. We all have arms, legs, eyes, ears and a head. The difference is in the heart.”