What’s Your Go-To Play?

You often hear about teams having their backs against the wall when facing adversity. Teams will often focus on the one thing they can do better than anyone else to try to overcome these times of adversity. This single-minded focus can help the team regain its swagger by focusing on doing only things that have become second nature…things that they know will come through no matter the situation.

A lot of us have our backs against the wall right now…whether it is our finances, job, health, struggles with family and/or friends…so what are we supposed to do? Fortunately, there are some examples of what to do in difficult times. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were tossed into a fiery furnace because they refused to bow to the golden image of King Nebuchadezzar (Daniel 3). Job lost his wealth and children…all his friends and his wife told him to curse God and die.

So, you might be asking yourself, “Why would people still believe in God with all these troubles?” Remember that people go back to what they know they can trust in times of trouble. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego told the King “we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter...the God we serve is able to save us…even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods…” Job said in the midst of his troubles “I know that my Redeemer lives and the end the end he will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25). Christ told us “come to me, all you who weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30)...so why don’t we take Him up on it today?

Don't Give Up...Don't Ever Give Up

Some of you may have noticed that ESPN has been running events and promos highlighting the Jimmy V foundation during the past couple of weeks. Jim Valvano, or Jimmy V as he is more affectionately called, was the head coach of the NC State team that pulled a miraculous upset over Hakeem Olajwon and the University of Houston to win the 1983 national championship in basketball. The jubilation and excitement was evident as Jimmy V danced across the court. This normally would be the thought of as the greatest moment in a head coach's career. Jimmy V was not your normal basketball coach. His last mission after being diagnosed with cancer was to start a foundation to help save lives by helping find cures for cancer. His speech from the 1993 ESPY awards program still plays 15 years later on national TV and has millions of hits on YouTube. Cancer didn't defeat Jimmy V....it gave him focus for his passion and his perseverance created a lasting legacy.

Hearing Jimmy V's famous speech, my thoughts can't help but to turn to Philippians 3:13-14 "...Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Acts 20:24 teaches us a similar lesson in regards to focus "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to God's grace." If we can stay passionate in our focus for sharing God's grace, then we can say like Paul at the end of his life "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7).

So, what can we do to press on and finish the race strong? Well, we can be prepared through: 1) staying in constant communication with God through prayer, 2) reading the playbook (Bible), 3) spending time in the video room (remembering what God has done in our own lives), and 4) having a group of mentors/friends that provide God-guided counsel. Utilizing these tools to be solidly prepared, we can more fully understand God's love and grace and share why no one should ever want to be separate from God. As we are in the midst of the Christmas season, do you know of someone who needs to know God's love more? What good words will you have for them?

Are You Playing Not to Lose?

If you watch many football games, you will likely hear a commentator discuss the perils of a prevent defense (a defense where the team with the lead is willing to give up chunks of yards because they think it gives them the best chance of winning). Some commentators will go so far as to say that the only thing a prevent defense does is prevent a team from winning. While one can certainly debate the relative strengths and limitations of the prevent defense in football, I believe God is firmly against us living life in a “prevent defense” type of mode.

God promised the Israelites that He would rescue them from Egypt and give them a “...good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey...” (Exodus 3:8). That being said, God didn't want the Israelites to just be on cruise control seeking comfort and actively demonstrating their faith in God. God gave the Israelites opportunities to grow and reveal their faith in Him. Likewise, David was anointed the future king of Israel as a young shepherd boy (1st Samuel 16:1-13), but still hat to face Goliath (1st Samuel 17) and be harassed by King Saul. Another example is Jesus' calling of Peter to be fishers of men (Matthew 4:18-20). Peter and the disciples were certainly not on a vacation cruise of the Mediterranean just listening to Jesus talk about how wonderful heaven is going to be one of these days....in fact Peter and the disciples were in for all sorts of persecution including being arrested and killed for proclaiming that Jesus is the resurrected Messiah.

While the eternal destination of all people who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Saviour is known and not in doubt, this knowledge doesn't mean that we should just live the rest of our lives seeking comfort. We are to be like John, preparing the way for Christ's return to Earth....telling all who will listen “...I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ' Make straight the way for the Lord'” (John 1:23). Let's go about life swinging for the fences and not just limping to the finish line with a prevent defense to gain temporary comfort.

The Benefits of Chopping Wood

The slogan for Rutgers football team during their 2006 rise was “chopping wood”. Chopping wood was meant by the coaching staff to symbolize staying focused on the task at hand. How often are we distracted by circumstances that are out of our control or things that really aren't that important in the big picture? What could we gain by keeping focused on the task at hand?

The book of Proverbs has a lot to say a being diligent (and folks say Proverbs is only about wisdom!). Diligence is rewarded with positions of authority (Proverbs 12:24), an abundance through hard work (Proverbs 28:19), and the ability to give without sparing (Proverbs 21:26). So, what does it take to be a diligent person? Diligent people are planners (Proverbs 21:5), take care of business without procrastinating (Proverbs 10:5), and prize their possessions (Proverbs 12:27).

Things may not always look like they are going our way. If you don't believe me, just ask David (Psalm 13) or Job. If this is where you are, Romans 5:3-4 has good news for you, “...suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” So no matter whether things are going well or we're in need of some good news, let's keep chopping wood.

Commitment to Excellence

If you follow the history of the National Football League, you are probably familiar with Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis' slogan “commitment to excellence”. The slogan seemed quite fitting back when the Raiders won 3 Super Bowls between 1976 and 1983. Now, the once proud franchise (and owner) appear to be in disarray. The team struggles to have a winning record, fires coaches on a routine basis, and is considered a laughing stock of the league.

That only happens out in the “secular” world though, right? Well, the Israelites had a proud history out being God's chosen people that were delivered from bondage and given the promised land. However, they often failed to remember why these great moments in their history occurred and focused on “their” strength (or weakness) instead of relying on God. Many Jews during Jesus' day thought they had everything figured out and wound up missing out on the Messiah, the cornerstone of our faith (Romans 9:33). Another example is Judas, one of the 12 disciples, who wound up selling out Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 27:3-10).

Certainly, none of us are perfect and we all lose focus. Peter is a great example of this as he walked on water (Matthew 14:27-30), preached the sermon at Pentecost where 3,000 were saved (Acts 2:38-41), and was crucified upside down because he told the authorities that he was not worthy to die in the same fashion as Jesus. However, at times he lost focus chopping off a Roman soldier's ear (John 18:10), denying Christ 3 times before the crucifixion (John 18:25-27), and wanting to build altars to Moses and Elijah on the mountain instead of focusing on Christ (Mark 9:5-7).

We are told to live in “manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27). Fortunately, we are also given the truth that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). So, are you ready to live a life dedicated to Christ where others see the commitment to excellence you display?

Playoffs and Focus

We are on the eve of the baseball playoffs and 8 teams have the opportunity to end the year as World Series champions. For the next month, individuals on these teams will have a single focus...everything else is comes second to winning that title. Have you ever felt that way...whether it was about a friend, girl/boyfriend, family member, or work? If so, you know how your thoughts can be a runaway train and everything else is an afterthought.

We all know that a single focus on another human or a secular event can have adverse consequences. Maybe you've seen the person who plastered himself into a wall just to look at a beautiful lady/gentleman for one more second...or seen the person who got in a car wreck because they were texting on their cell phone while driving.

Now flip the switch...what if our sole focus was on God? We are told that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, wisdom, and discipline (Proverbs 1:7). We are also told to meditate on the God's word day and night, that we may be careful to do everything in it (Joshua 1:8). Psalm 84:10 reminds us that one day in God's courts are better than 1,000 days anywhere else. The beautiful thing about this is that serving others is part of our single focus on God. Jesus told us that the most important commandment in the Law is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind...Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the prophets hang on these two commandments (Matthew 22:37-40).

I don't know about you...but if Jesus tells us 2 principles to follow will help us be right in every other area of our lives, it's good enough and you can lock it up and take it to the bank (not only is Jesus better than Tiger and Shaft...He's also better than banks). We love to focus so much on things that will only let us down with time....let's flip the switch and focus on the one who is the great I Am...because at the end of the day if God is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?

Mice and Men

Have you ever wanted something so bad that I drove your focus in all areas of life? I know I have. I thought I was leaving St. Louis for only one year after pharmacy school to get a view of the "outside world" and then return to St. Louis for my specialty residency and faculty position. Little did I know that God had much different plans for me that would take me to San Antonio for a year and then to Dallas. I wondered why roadblocks were keeping me away from St. Louis while applying for these positions…what I didn't realize is that I was about to find a great group church, fantastic group of friends, and wonderful career in Dallas. It turns out that the best laid plans of mice and men don't come close to stacking up to God's plans for us.

You might say, "Well, that's your opinion" or "you still didn't get what you asked for". True...but let me share a few examples with you to show God's consistency in His word. Jonah was quite unhappy with God for asking him to go to Nineveh and tried to run opposite of God's will (Jonah 1:1-3). God used this experience to teach Jonah about His compassion and for people (Jonah 4:1-11). David was not happy about being chased endlessly by his enemies, but God used his circumstances to teach David about God's unfailing love (Psalm 13:1-6)…David goes on in the next chapter to say how only the fool denies God. So, let us remember that God is with us not only on the mountaintop, but also in the valley...and He is worthy of our love, worship, and obedience in both places.