Yesterday was Father’s Day and the kids came home to visit
and celebrate over dinner. After a very
hot day, we received the blessing of some cloud cover and the four of us soon
found ourselves in the back yard playing catch with a football.
I broke away for a few minutes and spent a
little time in the front yard watering flowers and doing my best to keep them
alive (not a strong suit of mine). Coming
back around the house, I heard the familiar sound of clinking horseshoes and
realized the game had changed. Now,
there are many things - like gardening and math - that I don’t do well, but throwing
horseshoes is one of the things I do worst. Seriously.
When I throw a horseshoe, it looks more as if I’m bowling. It’s a pathetic sight and often rather embarrassing. I usually try to wiggle out of the game
somehow, but since there were just four of us, I knew there was no hope of
sitting out as a cheerleader.
Our family is competitive.
Very competitive. We play games
to win and, let’s just say that mercy is not a strong spiritual gift for any
one of us. At the end of a game, there
is always grace and kindness combined with sometimes-gentle ribbing, but in the
heat of the battle, we’re focused and purposeful. Our mission is clear: beat the socks off our opponents, in love, of
course.
As I neared the horseshoe pit, Mike called out, “Taylor and
I are on a team against you and Chris.” Grand.
Not only did I have to play, I found myself paired with the most competitive
person in our group. “I’m sorry, Chris,”
I said immediately. “I’m terrible at
this game.”
My son who often has tremendous wisdom that can only come
from the Lord called back from the opposite end of the pit, “Don’t be
sorry! Be successful!”
We had a wonderful evening and I made many terrible throws
that brought snickers and jokes from those who love me most. Chris and I won the game, and by the grace of
God, I even contributed a few points.
This morning as I reflected on the joys of the time we share (too
infrequently) as a family, Chris’s words struck my heart. “Don’t be sorry! Be successful!” While he delivered them as encouragement to buckle
down and win a game, they offer sage advice and are words to live by.
Before I continue this thought, let me clarify: I don’t believe that God cares a lick about
who won our game of horseshoes or whether or not Tim Tebow throws a touchdown
pass. His concern is that we glorify Him
with our lives, win or lose. The Lord’s concern is not about our winning games,
but about our standing victorious over the enemy of this world, honoring Him, and
advancing His Kingdom.
Too often, we accept defeat before we ever begin a thing,
when the God of the heavens is on our side and provides for our victory! How many times have we said such things to
ourselves as:
- “I can’t kick this addiction”
- “I just can’t please my husband so why try?”
- “I know carrying this extra weight isn’t healthy, but I don’t have the willpower stop snacking or start exercising.”
- “They’ve asked me to serve at church but I can’t muster the energy."
- “I can’t stop worrying about my kids and it keeps me awake at night.”
- “I’m afraid of failure (or success) so it’s best to not even try.”
- “I’ve been hurt in the past, so I avoid getting close to people.”
We often accept defeat without reminding ourselves that we
can do all things through Christ who gives us strength (Philippians 4:13). It is
for freedom that Christ has set us free, yet we burden ourselves with a yoke of
slavery (Galatians 5:1). We are often so
bogged down with slavery to fear, worry, guilt, shame, and confusion, that we
settle for mediocrity rather than the very best that God desires for His
children. We see ourselves as victims rather
than victors, and turn our backs on the blessing and joy that God has waiting
for us when we seek Him and allow His power and strength to work through
us.
My challenge to you is to accept the sound advice of my son and
“Don’t be sorry, be successful!” I’ll
rephrase it, however, and encourage us all to refuse defeat and walk in His victory!
It’s ours for the taking and when God is for
us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?
How has God shown you that He strengthens you personally and enables you
to do all things through Him? Please share your comments.
