Life's Little Frustrations

The leaves are just beginning to turn their beautiful autumn hues.

I should be awaiting the wonder, but I'm really singing the blues.

What I'm remembering is the mess they're going to make

As they fall off all over the ground, and we will have to rake!

I Corinthians 12:12, 18, 27: “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body.

So it is with Christ...But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be...Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."

Another analogy we see between athletics--and especially football--and the Christian life is the necessity of working well together. Teamwork is vital to success. Each person has his unique position or place in life, and using his special gifts benefits both the person himself and the other members of the team.

Possibly the greatest example of teamwork in existence is the human body. It wouldn't occur to us to oppose ourselves, for one part of our body to fight with another part. The whole body cooperates, each member doing its part to help the body operate at its full potential.

On a football team, the players cooperate with each other to help the team operate at its full potential. The players on the same team wouldn't dream of tackling each other. They work together, each member doing his part in an effort to defeat the opposing team.

Christians of all backgrounds, cultures, and denominations are on the same team. We are teammates with each other. God wants us to cooperate with each other. He wants each one of us to do our God given part to help our team operate at its full potential. He desires that we work together to defeat the evil forces that oppose us. It would be foolish for us to oppose our own teammates, wouldn't it? What would that do to the effectiveness of our efforts on behalf of God's kingdom?

God's words from I Cor. 12:25, "There should be no division in the body."

Father, help us to see our brothers and sisters in Christ as teammates. Cause us to love them, accept them, respect them, help them, work with them, and encourage them. Amen.

Life's Little Frustrations

A triple decker hamburger, a super sized coke—

I tell you this--and it's no joke—

A small coke's as large as a giant one used to be.

I'm afraid the next thing super sized is going to be me!

Training

"Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." 1 Timothy 4:7b, 8

"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."  1 Corinthians 9:25

In the sweltering heat of the muggy dog days of August, if you pass a high school you will probably see students out training for football season. They are preparing to play the game well when fall comes.

The athletes of Paul's day greatly influenced his writings. For instance, he pointed out the importance of training and thorough preparation for living our spiritual lives. How can we be trained spiritually? We feed ourselves daily on the Word of God. We learn and understand and practice the things that God instructs us to do, and we are careful to avoid those things which He tells us not to do. We attend Sunday School and church on a regular basis. We spend time with other Christians who sharpen us "as iron sharpens iron."

One of the best preparations for spiritual living is an in-depth Bible Study. Most, if not all, of us should avail ourselves of this kind of opportunity. And week-end conferences can be very helpful. Our ministers take classes at Bible colleges, and some of us may do the same. As God gives us opportunities to grow and learn, we should take advantage of each one to be well prepared for God to use us in different ways and circumstances.

Heavenly Father, may I take advantage of every opportunity You give me to grow in grace and learn what pleases You. Amen.

Life's Little Frustrations

This time of year I almost despair

Trying to decide what to wear.

Sometimes it's cool; sometimes it's hot.

Sometimes it's raining; sometimes it's not.

It's too late for summer clothes

And it's too warm for fall.

I guess that's just the way it goes.

I don't know what to wear at all!

Forgetting

Phil. 3:13b, "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Matt. 6:34a, "Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow."

The operative phrase from Phil. 3:13 for our purposes today is, "Forgetting what is behind."

These words of advice are found in Garth Stein's book "The Art of Racing in the Rain," "To remember is to disengage from the present.

In order to reach any kind of success in automobile racing, a driver must never remember." In other words, in racing, and in other athletic endeavors, it is crucial to be in the moment at all times. Being in the moment is also good advice for living the Christian life. Our joy, our peace, and our effectiveness can all be adversely affected if we try to drag around the memories of our past sins, mistakes, and shortcomings, with their accompanying guilt, shame, and regret. We can allow bitterness against others who have mistreated us in the past to steal our joy and peace and effectiveness. We can also dwell too much on the tragedies in our pasts and allow grief to take the joy from our present lives, or we can grieve and then move on. We can't change the past. The best we can do is start where we are and use the time we have now wisely. Possibly the best memorial we could give to our loved ones who have died is to live our lies as fully and well as possible and take every opportunity to do good.

Athletes learn to shake off the previous plays, whether good or bad. They do not worry about the plays ahead. Instead, to be effective, they must focus solely on the play at hand and do their best with it. Paul tells us to focus on Christ and keep pressing on.

Where are you living today? If anybody had a past that was hard to forget, it was Paul. Yet he concentrated on pressing on in the present, living in the moment, allowing God to use him where he was and as he was each day. Hopefully you and I will choose to do the same.

Father, may we put the past behind us and trust You for the future. May we live each moment of everyday with a sense of Your presence, Your peace, Your joy, and Your guidance. Amen.