Today I gathered with some close friends and watched my beloved Michigan State Spartans play in the Cotton Bowl against the Baylor Bears (Go Green!). Now, as much as I love my school and their football team, they have a never-ending tendency of stressing me out because I never know if they're going to win or lose a game, most times, until the clock hits 0:00, and today's game was no exception. Down by 20 points, I thought we were done for and was prepared to say, "Oh well, better luck next year". I thought I knew how this game would end. Fortunately for me I was wrong, and my Spartans completed the impossible comeback through a crazy 4th quarter so the scoreboard read Spartans:42- Bears: 41 at 0:00! It was unbelievable, but as I was driving home I thought about how I might have reacted if I had known that my boys were going to win while watching the game. I've had the experience of recording and re-watching MSU games and it's a much more relaxing experience. While I know what the final score will be, however, I rarely remember what happened in the middle of the game unless it was highlight worthy. Many times, if it was a win, there are some great catches and runs, perhaps a blocked kick or a trick play here and there, but there are also many low points; an interception, a fumble, being unable to convert on 3rd down, a missed field goal attempt. And throughout much of the game are just lulls filled with a lack of excitement. Thinking about the way I contemplate and experience football games got me thinking about the way we think about our lives.
Many times we approach life as if we were watching the game live. We live and die by each play, and the uncertainty of what could happen next can stress us out. We get excited about each big play and have a desire for more, but when the worst happens we can get so depressed that we decide we don't want to watch anymore (that tends to be my reaction). And if a game gets really boring we have a tendency to tune out and wish for something exciting to happen. We're on the edge of our seats until the time clock reaches 0:00 and then we look back to see what happened and see if we can remember all the big moments or, if it's a loss, we try to forget and distract ourselves from the disappointment. But what if we had a different approach? If we know Jesus and accept him into our lives as Lord and Savior, then it's like watching a game where you know the outcome is going to be a win. Jesus already won by dying on the cross with all of our sins and defeating the grave by rising again. He won the ultimate battle! And better yet, even when we don't know what comes next he does! Just look at Jeremiah 29:11 or read through the Psalms, he knows we're going to win too because he already won!
What if we approached each day knowing this, fully internalizing his victory. What would happen in our daily life? Would we walk with confidence in knowing that even though the time clock hasn't reached 0:00 that we're going to win? Would we let the lulls and setbacks disappoint us? It's strange to think about, but I have a feeling it would help us to relax to our daily stresses and forgive ourselves for our mistakes. Instead of thinking that change and development in us is hopeless, would we be able to let go and trust that God has got this so we could get up and try again? During the Cotton Bowl I watched Connor Cook, the MSU quarterback, throw an interception during a crucial point in the game when the Spartans were beginning to mount a comeback. While many of us would want the ground to eat us whole so we could disappear and try to forget that ever happened or just give up altogether, that's not what Cook did. On the next set of downs he got back out on the field and tried again, this time leading to the eventual comeback. This is what walking with Jesus does for us! Yes, we will make mistakes, some of which will be embarrassing or incredibly damaging, but we know that with Jesus everything will be alright and it gives us the confidence to get back up and try again. And unlike a sports game, we don't have to mount the comeback on our own, instead we know that He is with us and that we will overcome because he loves us!
So instead of approaching your life as a live game, try looking at it as if it's a game already won, and you're just watching what happens to lead to victory. Because Jesus loves us and died for us, we are victorious and can walk in that confidence even though the time clock has not yet hit 0:00. Trust him, because he knows the plans he has for you and he will not stop working with you here on earth until his work in you is complete! And then we will celebrate triumphantly in heaven together!
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