As many of you may know, I am a New England Patriot fan. As a little boy living in Connecticut, I used to dream of the time that the Patriots would become a great football team. Many times my expectations were drowned in sorrow because my team was far from a great team and it was mediocre at best. The past seven years has been a great time to be a Pat’s fan.
This year I have been following the Patriot’s website every day to read and watch videos about my team. It’s amazing what we will do when we believe in and even love something. What do you really love or believe in? Just look at what you love to do and how much time do you spend with that thing. Do you love Christ that why and His Church? Anyway, the pressure was mounting on every website and on the major sports channels, would the New England Patriots become the first team in NFL history to go 16-0 in the regular season? Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and others always focused on what it will take to play the next team, the next game, and win, not on future games. The whole team would wear T-shirts that said “Humble Pie” on them. Coach Belichick would emphasize on what they needed to do to correct misplays from the last game and that they still needed to work on the basics. Well as many of you know, the hard work paid off and they did it! Now they need to finish and win the Super Bowl. ;)
As I was lost in thought with the words “Perfect” and “Perfection”, the Lord reminded me how we are to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect (Matt. 5:48). The Pats have a perfect regular season but they have by far not executed every play perfectly. How many of us have friends and family playing in the game of life and we wonder if they are going to make it in the last quarter? Will they finally say yes to Jesus as their savior? Will they be playing on the universe’s undefeated team of all time, “The Called”, “Believers”, “Children of God”, “His Own”, “Christians”? There were about four games where I had to sweat it out all the way to the end. And I mean SWEATING!!!!!
As a Christian, we are called to live that perfect life but how do we do that when we are all sinners saved only by God’s grace? Romans 3:10 tells us that there is no one that is perfect, not a single person except Jesus. This is what I love about God! To live perfectly is to live completely. Jesus completes me and reconciles me to Himself not by my deeds but through His sacrifice. Living in the purpose that God created me to do and finishing the race we gain the prize “Perfection” “Completion”. As we close out 2007, did we win the race? Did we fight the good fight? Were you overwhelmed by a devastating year? We only need to take account of last year. Bring the best into 2008, learn from the mistakes and eat that “Humble Pie”, leave the things that we cannot change, focus on the game of today, and complete the God given task ahead. What will you do with 2008? Stay the same, the same old me with a new hairstyle. (Ok, that one doesn’t work for me) On the other hand, press on toward the mark of the high calling that God has called you too. Our coach, the Holy Spirit, encourages us to keep pressing on. I pray that it is the latter and we together will become a people who will be “…fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ!” Hold nothing back! Do NOT FEAR! JUST DO IT!!!!!!
This year I have been following the Patriot’s website every day to read and watch videos about my team. It’s amazing what we will do when we believe in and even love something. What do you really love or believe in? Just look at what you love to do and how much time do you spend with that thing. Do you love Christ that why and His Church? Anyway, the pressure was mounting on every website and on the major sports channels, would the New England Patriots become the first team in NFL history to go 16-0 in the regular season? Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and others always focused on what it will take to play the next team, the next game, and win, not on future games. The whole team would wear T-shirts that said “Humble Pie” on them. Coach Belichick would emphasize on what they needed to do to correct misplays from the last game and that they still needed to work on the basics. Well as many of you know, the hard work paid off and they did it! Now they need to finish and win the Super Bowl. ;)
As I was lost in thought with the words “Perfect” and “Perfection”, the Lord reminded me how we are to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect (Matt. 5:48). The Pats have a perfect regular season but they have by far not executed every play perfectly. How many of us have friends and family playing in the game of life and we wonder if they are going to make it in the last quarter? Will they finally say yes to Jesus as their savior? Will they be playing on the universe’s undefeated team of all time, “The Called”, “Believers”, “Children of God”, “His Own”, “Christians”? There were about four games where I had to sweat it out all the way to the end. And I mean SWEATING!!!!!
As a Christian, we are called to live that perfect life but how do we do that when we are all sinners saved only by God’s grace? Romans 3:10 tells us that there is no one that is perfect, not a single person except Jesus. This is what I love about God! To live perfectly is to live completely. Jesus completes me and reconciles me to Himself not by my deeds but through His sacrifice. Living in the purpose that God created me to do and finishing the race we gain the prize “Perfection” “Completion”. As we close out 2007, did we win the race? Did we fight the good fight? Were you overwhelmed by a devastating year? We only need to take account of last year. Bring the best into 2008, learn from the mistakes and eat that “Humble Pie”, leave the things that we cannot change, focus on the game of today, and complete the God given task ahead. What will you do with 2008? Stay the same, the same old me with a new hairstyle. (Ok, that one doesn’t work for me) On the other hand, press on toward the mark of the high calling that God has called you too. Our coach, the Holy Spirit, encourages us to keep pressing on. I pray that it is the latter and we together will become a people who will be “…fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ!” Hold nothing back! Do NOT FEAR! JUST DO IT!!!!!!
