If you know me at all, you know that one of my favorite forms of entertainment is football. Football is always exciting, and when I'm watching my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers, there's a palpable sense of danger because, well... they could LOSE. Yes, the Steelers are a tough, elite NFL team, but as the analysts will tell you, there are no pushovers in the National Football League. Upsets are fairly common. That contributes to the excitement of watching a live game... you don't know until the end whether you're watching a win or a loss. Sometimes the Browns beat the Patriots. Sometimes the Chiefs beat the Steelers. Anything can happen!
Unfortunately, we have this pesky little thing called the off-season. It's when the teams, for some reason, are not playing football. So, when I can't see live games on TV, I resort to re-watching old games. It's entertaining, partially because football is such a complex game. With eleven men trying to advance the ball and eleven men trying to hold them back, there's a lot going on in every play.
But there's also something uniquely comforting about watching a game when you already know what the final score will be. It means I can see the beauty in every play. Let me give you an example from one of my favorite games - Super Bowl 43, in which my beloved Steelers took on the Arizona Cardinals. I remember watching it live and seeing Big Ben's pass get deflected and land in the hands of one of the Cardinals. At that moment, it looked possibly disastrous. The Cardinals now had the ball in Steelers' territory, and their prolific quarterback, Kurt Warner, had three exceptional recievers to throw to. They were thirty-three yards away from taking the lead, and their passing attack had been nearly impossible to stop. Steeler fans began to panic. At least, I did.
Arizona moved the ball rather easily and with eighteen seconds left before halftime, they were within two yards of the end zone. No one watching had any doubt that the Cardinals could score. The Steelers were about to fall behind. Then, it happened. Kurt Warner threw a short pass toward his favorite reciever, but the hands that caught the ball did not belong to an Arizona player. It was a Steeler, James Harrison, who intercepted the pass and ran one hundred yards, avoiding tackles, jumping over fallen players, and tumbling into the end zone for a touchdown. Thus, one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history was born.
When I re-watch that game, I look forward to seeing Big Ben throw that interception. I look at the Arizona fans celebrating in the stands and I smile: let them enjoy their temporary victory. It won't last long. When you know that a potential problem is going to lead to something good, it's a wonderful thing. It frees you up to see all the beauty in the unexpected twists and turns of life. If Ben hadn't thrown that interception, Harrison's run would never have happened. And that makes Ben's interception a beautiful thing. Every play in that game is beautiful, even Arizona's touchdowns, because they all came together for good.
Now, what if someone could guarantee that every "play" in your life, whether it seemed positive or negative, would come together ultimately for good? Every football game has negative plays, and every life has setbacks. Sometimes the other team will clobber you, injure you, steal the ball and run it back for a touchdown. It happens to each and every one of us. And it probably seems disastrous. Sometimes we can't imagine ourselves coming back and winning the game.
However, God has already seen your life. And He promises that the final score will be in your favor. It's guaranteed. Where is it written, you ask? Why, in Romans, chapter 8, verse 28: "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."
A professional football team would do just about anything if it could guarantee them a win. What do you have to do? It's simple. Love God and follow His purpose. He already loves you; that is also guaranteed. Life is never guaranteed to be easy or pain-free. But we have someone who will turn our negative circumstances into positives. Give Him the ball; there's no defense that can stop Him.
I used to be afraid to talk about God. But when you know about something this wonderful, how can you keep it to yourself?
(This topic was partially inspired by Robert J. Morgan's book, "The Promise," which is all about Romans 8:28. If you're interested, I recommend that you read it.)
Unfortunately, we have this pesky little thing called the off-season. It's when the teams, for some reason, are not playing football. So, when I can't see live games on TV, I resort to re-watching old games. It's entertaining, partially because football is such a complex game. With eleven men trying to advance the ball and eleven men trying to hold them back, there's a lot going on in every play.
But there's also something uniquely comforting about watching a game when you already know what the final score will be. It means I can see the beauty in every play. Let me give you an example from one of my favorite games - Super Bowl 43, in which my beloved Steelers took on the Arizona Cardinals. I remember watching it live and seeing Big Ben's pass get deflected and land in the hands of one of the Cardinals. At that moment, it looked possibly disastrous. The Cardinals now had the ball in Steelers' territory, and their prolific quarterback, Kurt Warner, had three exceptional recievers to throw to. They were thirty-three yards away from taking the lead, and their passing attack had been nearly impossible to stop. Steeler fans began to panic. At least, I did.
Arizona moved the ball rather easily and with eighteen seconds left before halftime, they were within two yards of the end zone. No one watching had any doubt that the Cardinals could score. The Steelers were about to fall behind. Then, it happened. Kurt Warner threw a short pass toward his favorite reciever, but the hands that caught the ball did not belong to an Arizona player. It was a Steeler, James Harrison, who intercepted the pass and ran one hundred yards, avoiding tackles, jumping over fallen players, and tumbling into the end zone for a touchdown. Thus, one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history was born.
When I re-watch that game, I look forward to seeing Big Ben throw that interception. I look at the Arizona fans celebrating in the stands and I smile: let them enjoy their temporary victory. It won't last long. When you know that a potential problem is going to lead to something good, it's a wonderful thing. It frees you up to see all the beauty in the unexpected twists and turns of life. If Ben hadn't thrown that interception, Harrison's run would never have happened. And that makes Ben's interception a beautiful thing. Every play in that game is beautiful, even Arizona's touchdowns, because they all came together for good.
Now, what if someone could guarantee that every "play" in your life, whether it seemed positive or negative, would come together ultimately for good? Every football game has negative plays, and every life has setbacks. Sometimes the other team will clobber you, injure you, steal the ball and run it back for a touchdown. It happens to each and every one of us. And it probably seems disastrous. Sometimes we can't imagine ourselves coming back and winning the game.
However, God has already seen your life. And He promises that the final score will be in your favor. It's guaranteed. Where is it written, you ask? Why, in Romans, chapter 8, verse 28: "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."
A professional football team would do just about anything if it could guarantee them a win. What do you have to do? It's simple. Love God and follow His purpose. He already loves you; that is also guaranteed. Life is never guaranteed to be easy or pain-free. But we have someone who will turn our negative circumstances into positives. Give Him the ball; there's no defense that can stop Him.
I used to be afraid to talk about God. But when you know about something this wonderful, how can you keep it to yourself?
(This topic was partially inspired by Robert J. Morgan's book, "The Promise," which is all about Romans 8:28. If you're interested, I recommend that you read it.)
