Ephesians 4:4-6
You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
For those of us known as Arkansas Razorback fans, this has been a difficult season. We didn’t win a single Southeastern Conference game this year. In fact, our overall record was 3 wins and 9 losses. In the heartbreaking loss to LSU today, I think we fans experienced every emotion possible. There were moments of frustration, trepidation, hope, sheer joy and delight, and an ultimate sense of outward and inward defeat. But all good Razorback fans know that we win together… we lose together… and we STICK together! The Razorbacks will take the field again next season! And fans will fill the stadium and turn on their televisions and radios to cheer them on in their efforts. We’ll hope and dream of victories…and we’ll celebrate together when we get them!
I wish we were all as hopeful about our Christian faith as we are about football teams. We Christians all serve the same God… we believe in one baptism…one way to Salvation… and an eternity in Heaven with Jesus. We encourage each other in both joys and sorrows… we pray for one another and say that we trust God’s promises to meet our every need. But we often operate in a state of hopelessness. At the first “fumble” or “interception”, we panic… and in any defeat that we are handed, we completely crumble.
Is our faith really so fragile that we fall apart with the first challenge? Are we so insecure in our relationship with God that we cannot grasp how connected we are… to Him and to fellow believers? We are never alone! God is always available to us, and Christ’s disciples are all around us… ready, willing and able to lend us a hand. All we have to do is trust God and call on Him for help…and He will supply whoever and whatever we need!
Today, the starting quarterback for LSU was injured late in the game. Arkansas was ahead as a back-up freshman quarterback for LSU took the field. Arkansas forced LSU to their one-yard line, with mere minutes remaining in the game. And the quarterback steadily drove the ball down the field before throwing a 49-yard pass that was caught for the winning touchdown. Clearly, this team never lost hope. They kept working together for a common goal…and the end result was a victory.
Don’t you think that God will allow this same principle to apply in your spiritual life? Do you see that there is always hope - and victory - with God? Even in the waning minutes of a dire situation – or even your very life… when you are at the end of your rope and it seems you are out of time and options… God is still there – ready, willing, and able to help you turn things around.
So take a look at the situations you are facing – and your life in general. Where have you given up and accepted defeat? Where have you said, “There is no way out of this” or “This is just the way things are” and thrown in the towel? Are you like a “fair weather fan” who only supports the team when they are winning? Or do you trust God to handle whatever comes your way? Are you operating in faith and hope… believing that you can do all things in the strength of Christ Jesus? Is everything you think and do permeated with Oneness? Isn’t it time it was?
©2013 Debbie Robus
1 Samuel 30:23-25
"Families don't do this sort of thing! Oh no, my brothers!" said David as he broke up the argument. "You can't act this way with what God gave us! God kept us safe. He handed over the raiders who attacked us. Who would ever listen to this kind of talk? The share of the one who stays with the gear is the share of the one who fights—equal shares. Share and share alike!" From that day on, David made that the rule in Israel—and it still is.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
During the NBA finals, Jimmy Kimmel and Usher did a parody video called “Bench Warmer,” in which they “thank” the athletes who come along for the ride and rarely – if ever – get a chance to play. We’re not talking about Lebron James, Jason Kidd, and Dwyane Wade… or even well-known players like Shaquille O’Neal. This video is aimed at such relative unknowns as Eddie House, Jamaal Magliore, and Corey Brewer.
Now, if you don’t follow pro basketball, you may not be familiar with any of these names, but let me assure you, Lebron and Shaq get a lot more recognition than House, Magliore, Brewer, and dozens more. Yet all are (or were) members of professional basketball teams. All make six-figure (or more) incomes. And while some of the “stars” may think they carry the load for their team, it is still a team sport. At the end of the day, all play a supporting role in the team’s overall performance. And they each get paid for their contributions.
By the same token, the guy who totes the water bottles and towels gets paid. He didn’t score the winning basket… he didn’t have any assists or steals… he didn’t make a single free throw. But he did his part in contributing to the team’s effort. And he, also, gets a paycheck.
Where am I going with this? After all, we can agree that the assistant who dispenses water and towels doesn’t make anything near the salary of someone like Lebron James or Dwyane Wade. But he is compensated. The team doesn’t say, “You weren’t on the court when the winning shot was made… so you don’t get a check this week.” In the same way, God does not bless only those in the limelight. You may feel like your contributions are small… but God sees their value in the grand scheme of things.
You may not be able to take foster children into your home for care and nurture… but you may be able to contribute money for clothing, diapers, and more. You might not have extra time to visit shut-ins, but you can take a few minutes to make a phone call or mail a card to someone and let them know you are thinking of them. You may not have the ability to play an instrument in the Praise Band or sing in the choir, but you can open your mouth and at least whisper words of worship and praise during the Sunday services.
As long as you are doing all you can to the best of your abilities and circumstances, God is pleased… and He will bless you. Your efforts are just as vital and significant to His Kingdom as those of the likes of Billy Graham, your pastor, or a missionary serving in a foreign land. There is no shame in being a “bench warmer” for Jesus… as long as you are supporting the team. If you are willing to get up and get in the game and serve to the best of your ability whenever He calls on you, your “bench warmer” status is as vital as that of the “stars”. At the end of the day, you get the “Championship Ring” just like everyone else. Our access to heaven is not determined by our “celebrity status” among God’s servants.
If you have decided you are an unworthy, insignificant “bench warmer” for Jesus, I encourage you to change your attitude. You are just as important as the next guy. “Bench warmers” may not get the recognition and credit of the “star players,” but their contributions are vital to the team effort. All God asks is that you do be awake, alert, and ready to get in the game whenever He calls your name.
A friend of mine once said of her son – a freshman on a high school athletic team - “He’s a great bench warmer!” Can people – and God – say this about you? Are you a “great bench warmer” for Jesus? Are you doing all you can to support His team? Isn’t it time you did?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Proverbs 27:11
My child, show good sense! Then I will be happy and able to answer anyone who criticizes me.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This passage seemed hard to understand at first, and then I began to think about it in terms of recent events… particularly the general election. I am not going to “talk politics” here, but while many were elated over at least some of the outcomes, a lot of folks were disappointed. So what do we do when “our guy” loses? How do we react? I laughingly told one friend whose outcome was not as hoped that “I don’t know whether to cry or hit something.”
But honestly, while elections are important, the world isn’t coming to an end because one or more of our candidates didn’t win. And the real “acid test” of our faith and our Christian discipleship lies in how we react now. God wants us to show good sense and leave no room for criticism.
So if your candidates won, congratulations! I pray that you will conduct yourself with dignity and decency… that you won’t gloat over those on “the other side,” and that you will kindly and quietly go about helping your candidate work for the good of all people. I pray that you will ask God to show you how and where to concentrate your efforts in the days to come… to outline your role as His disciple and what you must do to accomplish His work.
If your candidate was on the short end of the vote, I pray that you will also behave with dignity and decency… gracious in defeat and ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work on whatever God has in store for you next.
In the days leading up to the election, I did not pray for specific candidates to win… not even “my” candidates. I prayed that sensibility, responsibility, and decency would prevail… that God would allow candidates who could move our country forward and work together for common goals to be elected. I did pray that God would bless and care for each candidate and move in him/her according to His will and purposes.
Now, I have to be sensible and trust these outcomes. I know that God is just as much in control today as he was yesterday or the day before. I know that He has plans for each of us, regardless of the election results… and it’s our job to figure out what those plans are and get busy working on them! Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and do your part? Are you ready to be sensible and make God proud?
©2010 Debbie Robus
