A smile crossed my face this past weekend when I captured this picture. The cap on the left belongs to my husband, Eddy, an Ole Miss Rebel fan to the core. The cap on the right is worn by my daughter, Miriam, who equally shares his passion and and loves sports in general.  I love the fact that she and her dad have found something over which they have bonded. She and I have our areas of common interests, and the “Wide World of Sports” belongs to them!
     While watching a football game with them, I was, as always, impressed by the amount of teamwork and effort that goes into playing sports in general. These guys have committed their all to the game through practices, workouts, and studying plays. They all have a common goal…that of winning!  For this they willingly sacrifice on a daily basis. No pain, no gain.
     What would our churches be like if we borrowed even a bit of the resolve, the “dug in” mentality that these players possess? How could the kingdom of God be affected? What would it look like if we were all on team “Jesus” with the common objective of winning people for the Lord? What if everyday we were practicing what we hear on Sunday, acting on the Biblical commandments of our head coach in Heaven, studying our playbook, the Bible. What if “winning” meant the salvation of lost souls otherwise bound for Hell?
     The temptation to be a spectator woos us all, however.  Watching is so much easier than being in the game…less sacrifice, less one on one interaction. Folks, if you only take a moment to process the world situation today, you would see that Heaven needs more players in action, in the game, who are willing to make a positive impact. However, acting as arm chair quarterbacks is the manageable path taken by so many.  The road taken by Jesus, the example he set for us as Christians is far from that of a lifelong “tailgating” atmosphere before the game. On Earth, He lived a life of intention…that of saving sinners like you and me. You have to be in the game, not a spectator.
     Are you ready to be a dedicated participant, to practice, to build up your spiritual muscles in God’s word, to reap eternal victories as you represent His team? Don’t forget the role teammates have of encouraging one other, and holding each other accountable. Highly important! We will all need this when the battles are difficult. There are no bowl and championship games in Heaven, but remember this. “Henceforth, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on the Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8) No trophy can compare to that! Get off the sidelines and out of the recliner, sign up, and see who you can take to heaven with you. To God Be The Glory!