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Seeking the perspective of Jesus

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (The Message)

There are some reasons why some divisions, specifically the S.E.C. football conference, have been dominant in Division 1 for many years. One reason for the S.E.C. is that the recruiting pool in the South is very deep. Great athletes are in abundance. Next, is the quality of coaches who are hired to run the better programs. This is obvious by the salaries and requirements on these coaches to win. They operate under a lot of pressure and must push their athletes to a level of performance required to win in their tough conference battles. The tenure of these coaches is never a sure thing, for we have seen some of the best coaches lose their jobs simply because they lost to an in-state rival or they could win only 80% of their games or they haven’t won a National Championship. But, this is not a new thing. It was this way when I was playing in the S.E.C. at Ole Miss from 1963 - 1967. Here’s an example of the pressures our coaches and athletes both faced:

When I entered my freshman year, we played under a rule that would not allow us to play varsity. There were about 70 of us on the frosh team. All of us were better-than-average athletes, or else we would have not been given a scholarship or invited to walk-on. Next year, when this same group of freshmen entered our sophomore year, there were only about 30 of us from the original 70 that returned. There’s a reason. Those freshmen coaches wanted to make our training and practices so difficult, that it would sift out pretenders and those less committed to give it their best. Those of us who moved to the varsity teams were then challenged even more so, for the coaches then wanted to determine the best men to be put on the field for winning games. The practices that we had then would never be permitted today. Just the fact that we were never given water, even on a 100-degree day, would be banned today. There were times that we thought that we would die from the heat or the training regiments and the wind sprints. The fact is I watched 2 of my varsity teammates die on the practice field in 1964 and 1965. We were told that these 19-year-old men had a “hidden” heart condition that happened to reveal itself on a 100-degree day when their bodies were dehydrated and overheated. Maybe so, but we all wondered if this was true? Even so, we continued to trust our coaches and trainers, as they hammered us into men who would compete and win. I wouldn’t say that we had the best natural athletes on the field by the time Saturday game day rolled around, for many of those guys checked out with those killer practices. But, the men who wore the uniforms and played the games were men who would do anything it takes to win. We would give our all on the field and would have nothing left when we walked off of it. We didn’t win every game. But, we almost did. Like Bear Bryant often said, “We didn’t lose the game, we just ran out of time.” Where am going with this? Watch for the connection.

When I started to walk with Christ in earnest, I was already aware that in order to grow in physical strength and stamina and have a winning attitude, a strong training regiment was necessary. I knew that a good training program would include challenging the muscles, as well as one’s discipline, to not give up. Even though my coaches at Ole Miss were imperfect men, they did produce some outstanding players, and I don’t think any of us would have become the team we became without those coaches who coached us. Therefore, it was pretty easy for me to understand that in order for me to grow spiritually, there would also require challenges that would strengthen my faith, my endurance and my commitment to not give up …. and that I would need a Coach to help me. The verse that I have referenced above helped me understand this, to see the description of a Divine Coach coaching His players using a divine plan that is a strategic regiment for both building us up and for preparing us for the next level of service. It has all the elements that a good training program should include. For example: No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face: Every good training program has been developed for a particular objective. Football works on certain muscles, whereas baseball works on others and so on. Each sport and the objective of the sport dictate the regiment. As a man of God, we can expect similar challenges that other men of God have faced as He prepares us for how He wants to use us. If you will look at any man in Bible history that was used greatly by God, you will see that he at some time had to face challenges that developed him. Some of those challenges are even similar to your own. If you will look around, you will quickly see men of faith who are being challenged as you are right now. So it is a common procedure that we all be tested. But the question is will you stay the course and not drop out of your test, for many of those around you will. Will you hang in there and allow your Heavenly Coach to do His work in your life without you giving up on His training plan? Know this: if you are being tested right now, I remind you to consider that there is a plan and a purpose that will one day be revealed. You are being prepared for a part you will play with the team God will put on the field. Will you stay the course until your training is complete, for it is essential in order for you to be made ready for the battles ahead?

All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit: I’m sure all of you would not trust a coach who would push his athlete to the point of death. Of all my coaches, I can remember only one who would be so callous and so casual with a life. It didn’t take long for me to distrust him, and as I looked around, I saw similar looks on the faces of other players. He couldn’t get the best out of us, for we didn’t trust his judgment or his heart about our limits. Therefore, I came to understand that in order for a coach to get the best out of his athlete, his guys have to believe that he is trustworthy and that he will not take them beyond what they are able to endure. This is where our Heavenly Coach has a leg up on our earthly coaches. The best coaches in this world cannot know at any and every given point when a test is too much. My coaches at Ole Miss didn’t knowingly allow 2 of my teammates to die. They were just carrying out a training regimen that they had been doing with hundreds of athletes for many years. They couldn’t know what was going on in the hearts of these players that would end their lives when the training was too much for them. But men, our Coach does know. He knows everything about us. He cares about that which He knows about us. He is willing to intervene when necessary. He is able to make us into men that we can never produce on our own. Will we trust Him to do this?

This week I saw the last Rocky Balboa movie, unless Sylvester Stallone tries it again when he is 80 years old. I hope he doesn’t for this last one pulled it all together for me. What we see in the movie is a man who still has the heart of a champion beating within him and the need to express it. It wasn’t about the money, and he had nothing to prove. He was simply an old fighter who had some fight left in him and wanted to express it. It is a movie, and it is really unrealistic, but it has a good theme. As I watched the movie I realized that you and I are a lot like that, and this is why we are being tested and prepared. The fact is you and I are being prepared for being a champion that will battle and win for the rest of our life. If we are still around at 80 years old, the heart to battle and win will be beating stronger than the year before. Our Heavenly Coach is working diligently in our life to make us into men who will hang in there for the duration and finish strong. He has His Coach’s eye on you and is saying to Himself, “That kid has some potential and if he is trained right he will be a great part of the team I’m putting together.” Doesn’t that thrill you to think that God is involved on this level with you? Doesn’t it just ignite you and make you want to bare down and stay with His training regiment? Doesn’t it make those trials you are going through right now be seen as purposeful and essential for your development? Doesn’t it make you want to say, “Bring it on Coach! I trust You, and what You have in mind for me!” Men, we can trust our King. What we are getting right now in the form of trials is nothing compared to what we will see that comes out of it. Bare down! Stay strong in your faith! Complete your test! Become the Man of God He has planned for you, for He is preparing you for greater things and this trial is part of the process.