Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Gridiron Gang

Last week I played football. It is an annual event I look forward to. Several of us old men, young men and boys from the congregation get together and play under the big Friday night lights at Spiegelburg (the local state of the art nike field-turf HS stadium). You can count on much laughter, much sweat, and way too much testosterone. And for the over 30 set, I am learning that you can almost guarantee something else: EXTREME SORENESS!

Yeah, I’ll be the 1st to admit, that I hurt for 2 days afterwards. I could get to my feet, but it took a step or two before I could really make my body move where I wanted it to go. It is amazing to me. The second that you begin to neglect the amazing muscle and joint system that God created, it begins to get tired and rusty. It doesn’t take long, before it is harder and harder to "bounce back".

As I get older in my spiritual walk too, I find this same principal to be true. The longer that one lets his faith and relationship with God lie dormant, the harder and harder it will be for him to “bounce back”. I believe James talks about this very concept in his 1st chapter. We literally must “work out” our faith, like we should our bodies in a gym.

I have friends who now are victim to spiritual laziness. They let their faith lie asleep for so long, that now they just cannot get it to move at all. They may be able to stand up, maybe even take a step, but that is it. There is no strength. No muscle.

I do not ever want to find myself this way. I hope you don’t either. So join me in the gym! Let’s pray. Let’s read His word. Let’s actively serve him. Let’s worship. Let’s us press on so that we may be mature and complete, lacking nothing!

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