“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules. The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops. Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” 2 Timothy 2. [NASV]
Winning. For some of us, Christian & otherwise, that’s all there is. In sports, business, the church, or everyday relationships. God knows this. There is nothing wrong with winning; but contrary to Vince Lombardi, it is NOT the only thing. All athletes know that winning must be achieved only when they abide by a set of common rules.
The same is true of the Christian life. No matter your culture, the rules of the Christian faith apply to all. Simply stated— Honor God, honor people, make a difference. More specifically—
There is a God in the universe who wants to give us everything He has. He simply asks us to give Him everything we have; all our self-centeredness, our rebellion, and our arrogance. He wants us to admit we’ve been wrong in our rebellion against His right over our lives. He’s even provided a resolution for the chasm we’ve created between us. The Person of Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our rebellion.
Do you want to claim the death of Christ as the paid-penalty for your rebellion? That’s His question for all of us. If your answer is YES, then you get to live your life according to His rules, not your own. Then you get to win, guaranteed.
Now that’s good news!
If you are not so much into sports, let alone winning, then you are probably unconsciously living your life by your own rules. Learning to live by someone else’s rules may be a tough shift for you. But can you imagine that the God of the universe, who sets the rules, might know a little more about what they should be than you do? Humm.
If each of us compete by our own rules winning becomes a matter of personal interpretation; but that’s not really winning is it? The God of the universe, our Father, wants us to live according to His rules, not our own. Remember, His rules are actually perimeters for our protection to live in this world the way He intended..
Honor God, honor people…, go for it!
Gary
Dr. Gary Davis, President
NEXT— disruptions & tenacity— get dirty
Clueless Christianity 