If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. – Romans 10:9
One of the many interesting sights I’ve ever seen has been when students, whether in high school or college, commit to that next step in their athletic careers. A backdrop is usually provided, family is called in, and the principals, deans, and coaches are all in attendance to watch this athlete who has worked so hard finally commit to where they wish to take their game next.
The same thing happens when we commit to Christ. In sports, commitment means signing on to represent a team. In faith, commitment means declaring Jesus as Lord and entrusting your life to Him. It’s the moment when heaven records your name on the eternal roster. The Holy Spirit has dropped breadcrumbs of life experiences and wisdom that lead us to our ultimate signing day when we finally acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord. And what a commitment it is! The Apostle Paul described it this way in Philippians 3:8:
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.
By putting to death our old self, we can rest assured knowing that we have now gained so much more than the world could ever offer us. No longer do you have to struggle with insecurities or work so hard to be accepted. The Lord your God has called you to be Holy or Set Apart. Your days of being enslaved to addiction or the lusts of life are over. In Christ, you no w have the power to fight and overcome them, day by day.
But it’s not easy. Jesus said in Matthew 7:14:
For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
There will be times when you will struggle. You may even fail! But Jesus still loves you. I have experienced the rise, fall, and slow rise of the Christian experience. But every single moment is counted as joy! Were it not for the highs and the lows, I wouldn’t be typing this blog to you. By choosing Christ over my own earthly desires, I can face tomorrow as the song says.
Choosing to play for Jesus’s team is a lifelong commitment. Like any football team, you’ll have good seasons, bad seasons and downright awful seasons. But take heart. You’ve got the greatest player-coach in the world to guide, train and push you through the process known as Sanctification (Philippians 1:6).
Don’t give up or think to yourself that things were better before you committed your life to Jesus. The Hebrews did that in the wilderness and because of that, a whole generation missed out on the bounty God had ordained for them to be stewards of. We here at Football Faith are here to help keep you encouraged on your walk. And not just leadership, but the entire community. We are all disciples of our Lord Jesus and together we will stand firm on the foundation that He has established.
And if you are ever in doubt or believe that you may not make it? Skip to the end of the book… we win (Revelation 21:4).