Give God Your YesSample

Never give up. Remember, Jesus fights for you, strengthens you, and encourages you. Don’t you ever give up. Repeat this out loud: “I am not going to hell.” Say it out loud . . . louder and louder. Let it be earsplitting: “I am not going to hell, and I am bound for heaven!” Remember, God has promised you abundant life on your journey, and He allows you to be a small part of His earthly work. When you feel weak and overwhelmed, lift your head, look full in His wonderful face, and never give up!

Here’s a fragment of something Hank once wrote about the Woodlawn football team:

“The defining moment of the entire Woodlawn football story was not in the movie. It happened on the team bus right after the first game of the 1973 season. Our team had just experienced a revival. We had committed ourselves that season to play for a higher purpose than just winning. We pledged to play for the glory of God and to use football to make Jesus known.

“Then we promptly went out and lost our first game. We played our hearts out against Ensley and held the four-touchdown favorite scoreless until the final moment of the game when they scored a desperation touchdown and beat us 7–3.

“When we went back to get on the team bus after the game, there was a noticeable chilly silence. Nobody said a word. It was an icy-cold grim mood. I sat next to the head coach, Tandy Gerelds, on the front row of the bus. He was not happy when I took my seat. He had not bought into Jesus yet. He did not want to commit his life to something he could not see. I guess you could say he was a true skeptic and cynic.

“When I sat down next to him on the bus, he nudged me on the arm, and in a low-growl voice, said, ‘You have got to say something to the team. They thought they were going to win because they were playing for Jesus. Now their hearts are broken. They could all quit. You have to say something right now!’

“I prayed a quick prayer for help, stood up, turned around, and faced the team. Every eye of the bus was on me. I knew that whatever I said in the next two minutes would be the biggest speech that I ever gave in my life. I told them, ‘Fellows, there is one thing that I didn’t tell you about this commitment to play for Jesus. With every commitment, there is a test to see what your true motivation is. If you think that committing to play for Jesus will get you a genie, a rabbit’s foot, or a lucky charm to help you win football games, it will not work. God is not going to be a genie! He is going to be God when you win and when you lose. If you are going to play for Him, you will have to give Him praise when you win and give Him praise when you lose. You need to make up your mind right now. If all you want is a genie, we might as well fold it up and go home because it will not work. God is not going to be a genie. So, make up your mind right now. It’s either all in or all out.’

“I waited. For about twenty seconds, nothing happened. Just cold silence. Then from the back of the bus, a lone voice spoke up, ‘I’m still in!’ And then another voice chimed in saying, ‘I’m still in!’ And then, players all over the bus began to nod their heads in agreement and started saying, ‘I’m still in!’ Then all of a sudden, they started to chant, ‘We’re still in! Still in!’ Then it changed to ‘All in! All in! All in! All in!’ It got louder and louder until it rocked the bus. The whole mood changed from gloom to all-out determination to play for the glory of God, no matter what the cost.

“Finally, I put my hands up to calm the noise down, and I said, ‘All right, now let’s go home and go to work.’ So, we went home, went to work, and we started to run the table and win. They played so far above their abilities and won games so far beyond explanation that the rest of the 1973 season became a legend in Birmingham high school football folklore. The Woodlawn football team proved that amazing things could happen to anyone who decides for Jesus, catches the vision of living for a high purpose in life, and truly gets all in!”

Are you all in? You must make up your mind right now. It’s either all in or all out. The real question is, are you for God or against Him? Give God your yes.

One day I was out shopping with a dear friend and prayer partner of mine who had been in my Bible study when she suddenly said, “Shelia, I finally understand! When something comes up in your life that requires obedience, you do not have to decide whether you will obey or not. You have already decided to make Jesus the Lord of your life—there are no exceptions—and you walk by the decision you’ve already made. Understanding this has changed my life.” She explained that up until that realization, she had been arguing with God every time some decision came up. She had been selective on what she would and would not obey, similar to choosing items in a grocery store instead of yielding and obeying.

Have you decided to obey, or do you think you have the right to debate Him on every command? It does not mean that there will not be challenges as you change and are being conformed into God’s image, but are you yielded to Him and walking in obedience to Him? If your dreamers give God their yes, God will lead them into His plan for their lives.

Read more from Raising Up Dreamers here .