James 4:7 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
I feel like we all have seen that player that simply just tries to do too much. No matter what sport you are playing he tries to do everything instead of just staying true to his role as a player. Even if they are the star player often times they put too much on their plate and often become too burnt out or tired to truly accomplish their goal. Even worse, lots of times they end up hurting their team with the lack of trust that they put in the other players around them. Sports and most life events are team games and they require you to put trust in those you are working with to succeed.
I have often times found myself praying to God for something to happen then asking God “what can I do to make this happen?”. Truly I can tell you that the answer is just to pray about it then let God take over from there. Once we talk to the Lord about it then it is truly in his hands. We can’t do anything about it. I’ve learned that once you find that peace from asking the Lord to work in your life you feel the most fulfilled. Don’t try to do too much. If you’re having concerns just go to the Lord in prayer and let him truly work in you.
1 Peter 3:3-4 “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”
I’ve become very interested in watching stand up comedy here recently. I’ve grown to really enjoy a lot of shows especially as I have grown and matured. Sometimes I wonder how these comedians are able to come up with the stuff they say. After watching an interview with standup comedian Matt Riffe it is definitely more clear. He states that “I’m just my self and I trust that it’s funny enough for people”. That’s just the thing- he’s confident enough in his God given abilities to put on a show. Like him, other comedians have to learn to be creative and be their self so that they can stand out in a saturated field.
God creates each and everyone of us differently. He has made each one of our purposes different than others. Our paths cross others for long amounts of times and some for short amounts of times. Our book is written already. God makes it a case to share with us that we should embrace the inner workings that he has created in us. Each person God made in this world has a different goal for serving his kingdom. Trust in yourself and be proud of the person that God has created for you to be.
Psalms 128: 2 “You will definitely enjoy what you’ve worked hard for — you’ll be happy; and things will go well for you.”
One thing that has always been interesting to me is how hard it is to make it to the majors in baseball. You see these stars on TV, but often times their path to the MLB was not a straight shot. Often times players get drafted right out of high school or first year of college, but they don’t have their MLB debut for years later— if they even make their debut. Many times players grind through rookie ball, single A, double A and triple A to make it finally to the MLB. Then, they have to perform well to stay in the majors or they risk the chance of going back down. Add onto this the long seasons — and it makes for a constant grind.
Our spiritual life should be a grind. We should be looking for ways to make our lives better spiritually and should be looking for ways to positively impact those around us. The disciples were told that they would be persecuted for following Jesus, but they were ready for the struggles ahead. We should be ready for everything that the word will throw at us when we are spreading the word. Our God tells us to make disciples of all nations. Work hard in everything you do, and do it to the best of your ability. Do this and you will be rewarded. Are you grinding for God? Or are you content in standing at a standstill in your spiritual life? Start taking the steps to get right with God.
Psalms 102:15 - “The nations will fear the name of the LORD, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.”
I was watching a YouTube video titled “the greatest sports interviews ever”. This was a very interesting video that showed the character of many of the greatest athletes of all time. One video that stood out to me was one with the late Kobe Bryant. A reporter asked him a question and his response was simply “God is great. It’s that simple”. Repeating it over and over again it was very admirable and showed that Kobe had trusted God up to this point, so he saw no reason to stop believing in God.
A lot of times we forget how great God is. We can never fully wrap out mind around the forgiveness and greatness that the Lord has given us. We are in no way, shape, or form worthy of God’s forgiveness. Each day that we are alive we should grow closer to the Lord and learn to appreciate all the things that he has blessed us with. God is good- all the time. And All the time- God is good.
Verse of the day: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” - Proverbs 27:17
Something that I’ve realized after many years of being in sports the team you are playing with, whether they are good or bad, can make or break the experience you will have. I also think this translates into the workplace or any job that you are performing. Working with difficult people can make or break our job experience which can ultimately make us seek new jobs or new teams. When I think about sports teams with good chemistry it’s hard no to mention the Golden State Warriors. Not only do they have good chemistry on the floor, but they can often be seen off court hang out with one another whether that be out getting food, shopping or golfing. This chemistry off court translate on court which is why they are one of the most dangerous teams in basketball. They also have a great leader in their head coach who cements their team. Good chemistry and a good leader is the key to success of a team no matter what setting you’re in.
I think this lesson can translate to our spiritual life. One of the many tools that the Lord gives us to grow in our spirit is fellowship- the ability to bond with other Christians over our love for the Lord. It is important that we are open and easily approachable for our fellow Christians so that when they are in a tough spot they can feel comfortable coming to talk to us. Life is tough sometimes and it makes it easier to thrive when you know you have a backbone of support when the times get tough. Like having great teammates & coworkers is important, it’s important we have friends and mentors that are supportive in our journey with Christ. Fellowship is a great way to not only support each other in Christ but it a great way to grow as a follower of Christ in a world that often looks down on it.
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