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December and early January featured the annual
college football bowl games, nearly all of them
ending with trophy presentations. The last few
weeks have brought trophies to deserving
professional teams as they eliminated lesser
squads on their way to the big showdown. Now all
eyes are on the two teams left in the chase that
will soon compete for the most prestigious trophy
of all: the one given to the undisputed champions,
the winners of the Super Bowl.
What makes a champion?
A desire to win; natural
talent, dedication, discipline and, in football
lingo, a willingness to leave it all on the
field. In other words, being willing to sell out
for the cause, to hold nothing back; to pay the
price required to claim the trophy.
Sometimes the most exciting
time in these championship games occurs during the
final few minutes. There’s even a provision in the
rules of football to help make this happen called
“the two minute warning.”
The two minute warning often
does wonders. After this break in the action,
each tick of the clock becomes more important.
Players plunge, pass, and perform with new vigor
and breathtaking efficiency, forgetting former
blunders and making the most of the moments that
remain. These end-time revivals have rescued
teams that seemed hopelessly behind and bound for
defeat. Games have been won or lost depending on
how well teams used their final two minutes.
Life’s like that.
Many who had considered
themselves losers have snatched victory from the
jaws of defeat during their remaining moments and
for them the best is yet to come. Trophy time is
ahead and they’ll not be left out on presentation
day.
These last minute winners
realized they didn’t have time to look back and
mourn over past mistakes or gloat over old
accomplishments. Past sins are forgiven when they
are confessed to the Lord and there isn’t time to
allow them to hold us back anymore (1 John 1:9).
Former victories can only be enjoyed to the point
that they build faith for greater ones. They must
never be allowed to make us feel we’ve arrived or
done enough to retire from serving God and helping
people.
I often carry and frequently
read the following newspaper clipping about a man
who held nothing back in his effort to make a
difference:
“John Wesley traveled an
estimated two hundred fifty thousand miles in
forty years; preached four thousand sermons;
produced four hundred books; knew ten languages.
At 83 he was annoyed that he could not write for
more than fifteen hours a day without hurting his
eyes and at 86 he was ashamed that he couldn’t
preach more than twice a day. He complained in
his diary that there was an increasing tendency to
lie in bed until 5:30 in the morning.” Imagine
what trophy time will mean to those who serve like
him.
Paul recognized the talent
and discipline of athletes in their efforts to win
prizes but reminded his readers that these
trophies were all temporary, saying he had chosen
to invest his life earning trophies that would
last.
A woman told me she had
retired from the job she had held at her church
but later returned to serve again. She wanted a
timeless trophy. How about you? |
