My Newest Thought

I am tired of hearing the analogy: “if your on the bench in your “Christian” walk, you are wrong.”  This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.  In any sporting event or game in which one would sit on a bench, no one player plays every minute of every game with zero breaks.  It NEVER happens, even the great Cal Ripkin Jr took a game off, Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, took  a seat on the bench to allow Steve Kerr some time.  Here is my new take on this old saying: If you aren’t in the game, dont’ worry about it, study the play book, pay attention and getting ready, so that when your number is called, YOU can not only be in the game, but you can succeed!

I have been thinking and a lot of the times it seems that we are constantly being told, get involved in your local church, if you aren’t ministering to someone seek out a group that needs help and help them.  I believe that their are times and places for all of that.  But let’s look at what Christ was about on this earth: 1- Christ was baptized (we can liken this to us choosing to serve God), 2- he went out to the desert to fast and be tempted (preparing to be in the game) 3- He called his disciples (started his ministry) 4- Went alone into the garden to pray (was still before God-preparing to re-enter the game) 5- Died and rose again for us (fulfilled what he was called to do) 6- Re-connected with his disciples (trained others to help them get ready to be in the game) 7-Gave his final commands (was in the game).  Christ, whom we are to be like, took time to sit on the bench and seek God’s heart.  He was not constantly bombarded with ministry.

“Be still and know that I am God.”

That ring a bell?  Beuller, Beuller? I guess all this to say, If your not in the Game, prepare, so that when your number is called you are equipped to do what is asked of you.

An athlete is known, not by his actions on the field, but rather, by his daily preparation. The greats of our time (Jerry Rice, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, King James…) these guys where known to have the hardest work ethic, and to have spent more time in mental preparation then other players in the sports.

One last Analogy, For those of you who don’t know I am a HUGE MMA fan.  I think that there are few things better then a couple of guys getting into the cage and attempting to impose their will on the other.  The person who usually wins, 99% of the time has spent more time in the gym, more time on the mat and more time studying his opponents weaknesses then the person he beats.  When the fight is over, they do not go climb into another cage, ring or octagon, they grab their closest friends go back to their Camp, rest, heal and begin training for the next challenge.  If they lose, and they all do at some point, they go back, rest, heal and train again.

We need to be like those fighters, win or lose, we pick ourselves up go back to our camp, rest (be still), Heal (find the wounds and emotional damage and begin working it out) and train (meet with our fellow believers, meet with God, get into the word) and prepare for the call that sends us back into the Cage.  We have the greatest corner man in the world, for who better to give you by the second changes then God himself.