I really hope you are having a great start to a new school year!!! The smell of fall is upon us: leaves changing, cooler weather, and oh....football! That is really all that is talked about or watched this time of year in the Roberts' house. As a coach, one of my husband's favorite coaches is the legendary Vince Lombardi. There is a quote from Vince Lombardi that God has used to speak to me and my relationship with God and others. The quote is, "Some people find things in the game that don't exist, but football is only 2 things-blocking and tackling."
God used this quote to challenge me in my faith and help grow me as a follower of Christ and maybe He wants to do the same for you too. How? Well, I always thought that to be a more mature Christian you had to know more about the Bible, memorize more scriptures, you had to do more things, or not do more things. You had to understand the book of Revelation, know apologetics so that you could defend the Christian faith, know theology by studying different commentaries people wrote about the Bible. None of these things are bad things and really can be positive, but these things became the focus of my faith, And when it did I often found things in "the game" that don't exist. I became legalistic, judgmental, and religious and not just towards other people, but towards myself as well. I was so hard on myself and others that there was no freedom. You see, I was making the gospel, the good news, into a list of things I could do or should do, couldn't do or shouldn't do. Then, I read Luke 6:27-36:
But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good
to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray
for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the
cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away
your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone
who begs from you, and from one who takes away your
goods do not demand them back. And as you wish
that others would do to you, do so to them. If you love those
who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners
love those who love them. And if you do good to those who
do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners
do the same. And "if you lend to those from whom you expect
to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners
to get back the same amount. But love your enemies and do
good and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be
great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the
ungrateful, and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
When I read these verses and realized these words of Jesus was telling us that the "Game of Life" is only about 2 things: 1)Accepting God's LOVE through His son, Jesus Christ. 2) Giving LOVE to others. Anything else is finding things in the game that don't exist. As a follower of Christ and person in the ministry, my life looked nothing like this and that bothered me immensely. How could I go on to study and learn and try to understand the rest of the Bible when I couldn't understand and live these 9 verses in Luke. I truly believe if every person who claimed to be a follower of Christ would live according to these 9 verses, the world would be changed for the Kingdom of God, starting with me. But how could I love like that? I am not capable and even when I try I fail miserably. Then God simply whispers in my ear "You're right you can't, but I can and I live in YOU!!"
In 2010, I have committed to just read the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and get as much Jesus as I can. It has been 8 months and God is doing some amazing things in me and through me. I truly believe God is giving me His eyes to see people the way He sees them (most of the time)) and I am still working on seeing myself the way that He sees me.
Now, after reading this I challenge you to read Luke 6:27-36 again and let God speak to your heart!
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