Whose Side?
“When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand. Joshua approached Him and asked, ‘Are You for us or for our enemies?’ ‘Neither,’ He replied. ‘I have now come as commander of the Lord’s army.’” -- Joshua 5:13-14
After playing in and coaching thousands of games, I have found that I struggle with one main issue: Whose team is God on — my team or the other team? Does God pick sides? If He does, and there are Christians on both teams, then how can God be on both teams?
Honestly, when I compete, I want God to be solely on my team and not on the other team! However, that mindset is all wrong.
In the Bible, Joshua was the commander of Israel’s army and was preparing his troops for battle against Jericho when the commander of the Lord’s army appeared to him. When Joshua asked him whose side he was on, the commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Neither.”
It’s not whether the Lord is on our team or their team; it’s whether or not we are on God’s team! When we compete, we need to first recognize that we are on Team Jesus Christ, not the other way around. God wants us to be on His side only!
- Do you find yourself wondering whose team Jesus is “for?”
- How can you apply the concept of being on God’s team the next time you compete or practice?
“Lord, help me to compete knowing that I am on Your team and to remember that it’s not about You being on my team. Every time I step onto the field of competition, I will wear Your uniform. Amen.”
