Quarterback/Receiver Communication

Have you ever watched a football game and seen a football thrown without a receiver in sight? If it is a team you are rooting for, you may have found yourself saying “What are you doing?”. The pass is usually either incomplete or intercepted by the defense. The television cameras often pan to a scene where the quarterback and receiver are trying to figure out what happened.

Football commentators will tell you such throws are often the receiver’s fault. With God as our quarterback we never have to wonder where the fault is because God is always on the right page. We are told in Deuteronomy 32:4 that God “is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all His ways are just” (also see Psalm 145:17, Hosea 14:9, and John 14:6). We, on the other hand, are not perfect and may 1) break off the route due to fear or lack of faith or 2) not know the proper route because we haven't spent enough time in the playbook.

We are told in Joshua 22:5 to “...love the Lord you God, to walk in all His ways, to obey His commands, to hold fast to him and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.” That may sound pretty daunting, but we are to ask for help like those before us. Moses put forth a humble request to the Lord, “...teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you...” (Exodus 33:13). David echoed this request in Psalm 86:11, “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” If two members of the Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11) ask God for direction in His ways, why are we so stubborn to figure things out by ourselves?

Remember, saying I don't have enough time is not an acceptable excuse. Are you saying that God failed to meet your needs? If so, Matthew 6:33 and 7:7 offer a strong rebuttal. So, let's get our noses in the playbook so we know the plays God wants us to execute on the field of everyday life.

The Receiver’s Mentality

Have you ever noticed how many receivers always want the ball? Have you noticed how some receivers will pout, get angry, and even quit playing as hard because they are not getting the ball as much as they want?

These receivers sometimes say “I want the ball because I give my team the best chance to win.” How arrogant is this? Do these receivers honestly think that their coaches and quarterbacks are trying to sabotage their chance of winning? How poorly must they think of the other receivers and running backs on their team in order to say this?

Now turn the switch…how often do we act like one of these receivers with God? How often do we say that I want what I want, when I want it and not a moment later? How often do we pout, get angry with God, or excuse ourselves for disobeying Him because we feel that He “didn’t answer our prayers”? Did we ever consider that God has other options available that we might not have considered? Did we ever consider that maybe we aren’t ready for the option we want so badly and need more training? Is the route we want to run an option that pleases God? Are we loafing because the ball wasn’t thrown our way recently?

God is the greatest quarterback and wants to use all Christians that make themselves available for His use. However, he won’t use us when we aren’t willing to following His play calls or take plays off when we don’t feel like we are being used properly. It’s a beautiful sight to see a quarterback pick apart a defense. God is able to plow through the defense on His own, but He wants to use us as part of His game plan. So, let’s accept God’s gracious offer to use us as tools to accomplish His great work.

The Ultimate Quarterback

Have you ever watched a football game and seen a receiver leap in the air for a pass thrown over the middle? This type of play especially catches my attention when the defender(s) is (are) ready to knock the receiver’s head off. The amount of trust the receiver places in the quarterback is huge (as his career could be ended by a huge hit on any given play…and this play is particularly risky to the receiver). The quarterback certainly doesn’t want to the receiver to get hit (or hurt) for no purpose. However, making a large gain sometimes comes at a cost (whether it is a hard hit that requires extra time in the whirlpool the following week or a serious injury).

God is the greatest quarterback because he knows what is needed to advance His kingdom. His passes are always on target for the route we are supposed to run. Missed opportunities (incompletions) only occur when we run the wrong route (being in our will instead of God’s) or when we see the defenders lurking (challenges in the world) and refuse to leap in the air for the ball (lack of faith). There are times when our bodies and mind may be rattled by the hits put on us by the defenders, but our obedience advances God’s cause. However, if a Christian’s career on Earth is ended in serving God (dying in the firm grip of His will), he/she has contributed to something much greater than the game of football. God can use our witness long after we have played our last play on Earth (see the account of Stephen’s death in Acts 7:54-60 which led to the conversion of Saul in Acts 9:1-30 as an example).

So, the real question is who (or what) are we willing to leap over the middle for? Do you trust God enough to follow His will? What about when it looks like doom and gloom are all around and just waiting to pounce? Are we willing to pay the temporary price it may take to work as tools for the greatest quarterback of all time to lead His team (that He created…least I forget that God is also the Coach, GM, and owner of His team) to victory? He’s already won the game (so our obedience or lack thereof won’t affect the final outcome), but wouldn’t it be great to be able to be a tool and catch some passes from the greatest quarterback of all time and advance His cause?