“Work Harder” is not always the answer.

 

As a “football guy” I certainly get this.

 

I talk with many people and listen to talk radio and sports reports and hear that “work harder” comment a lot.

 

Is it that simple?  Most of us know, deep down, that it is not.

 

When you compete in an arena, as many of us do, where the other side is ALSO trying to win, it is much, much more complicated than that.

 

On a record setting touchdown completion to Brandon Stokley, Peyton Manning showed FAITH.  Yes, he worked hard….but it was much more than that.

 

As Stokley began to work outside and “set” his defender outside, Manning began to make his throw back inside.  In other words, Peyton threw it to the right when Stokley was going to the left……

 

When Stokley broke back to the inside, the ball was on him and the Colts scored.

 

To watch this develop from the back was utterly amazing.

 

Before it was, Peyton saw it……

 

That’s FAITH.

 

And as we walk into 2019, that is the word that God has put on my heart to give to you.

 

FAITH.

 

If you are like me, you have worked very hard at something—-and failed.  So you know in your heart that working hard is not the only recipe to success.

 

And, certainly, God would say the same thing.

 

The Word is our one connection to the Lord that we can literally hold in our hand—–but today, I am going to go with a story.

 

Understand this…..Only God, through His word, can give you something that will truly bring life…..so if today you are inspired by this writing—-I want it to give you inspiration to do just that—PULL OUT YOUR WORD AND BEGIN TO READ IT….EVERY DAY.

 

You may have heard the story of the man who brought a crowd of people up to the top of a skyscraper in New York City and allowed them to see the tightrope he had extended out to see the true “reality” of the situation.

“Who believes that I can walk this tightrope?” he asked.  Almost half of them raised their hands. After gathering the vote, he walked the line—going all the way across and all the way back.  The crowd was amazed.

He then pulled out a wheelbarrow and turned to the crowd:  “Who believes that I can walk this tightrope with this wheelbarrow?”  A few more raised their hands. After gathering the vote, he took the wheelbarrow and walked the line—going all the way across and all the way back.  The crowd was amazed.

THEN, he asked the crowd:  “Who has FAITH that I can walk this tightrope with this wheelbarrow?”  “What do you mean,” they asked, “we said that we believe”. To which he responded:  “Which of you would like to get in the wheelbarrow?”

 

As we begin the journey into a new year I want to encourage you to start, and end, with FAITH.  God makes it clear that our work will not be good enough. And, as many of us know, our hard work is never enough.

 

FAITH, on the other hand, takes a little bit of work and a little bit of letting go.

 

It is trusting God to act in situations where we might not have control.

 

It is trusting that God knows what He is doing.

 

It is ….. TRUSTING GOD….and acting out our life with that as our primary belief.

 

God has written us a love letter over 1500 years.  It has been written by 40 authors, on 3 continents, by a crowd of people as diverse as you could gather.

 

And yet…..it ties together perfectly and works from the same theme:

We Are Created

We Are Flawed

We Are Offered A Choice Of Redemption

 

Make 2019 the year of your greatest acts of FAITH.  Trust that you can “throw the ball” before your receiver is even open…….CHOOSE to get in the wheelbarrow.

 

Have FAITH that Your God will do a new thing.

 

Have FAITH that you, and everyone around you, is a miracle of creation that God desires to bring to life.

 

Have FAITH…….that this life can ACTUALLY WORK.

 

In The Name of the Father and the

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

Know anyone who might like these?  Encourage them to jump on to 2minutewarning.blog and hit the FOLLOW button!!!

Coach J