August 19, 2019 - Roster Spots (Who deserves it?)

I am very old school in my thinking when it comes to sports… I will admit that I don’t think everyone should make the team… I will admit I believe in making cuts… I will admit that I don’t think everyone should get a trophy…


A few years ago, as I prepared for an upcoming season of coaching my daughter’s middle school team, I was hit with the prospect of possibly 15 or more girls trying out (between the ages of 5^th and 8^th grade.) This, in my mind, was entirely too many girls to carry on a roster… entirely too many girls to create meaningful practices… entirely too many girls to give playing time to… It should require hard work… players should meet expectations…


That is the way many of us are programmed to think… that we need to earn or deserve what we get… that we need to deserve to stay on the team… that our performance is the basis for our spot on the roster…


That is unfortunately how many view the idea of Christianity. I was speaking with one of our staff members today and he mentioned a conversation he had with a colleague (at a Christian ministry) about the Gospel. When our staff member stated that the Scriptures simply call a man to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” to be saved (Acts 16:31); to which his colleague replied, “It can’t be that simple.”


The Gospel is not that everyone makes the team… but instead “whosoever believes” (John 3) makes the team… (therefore everyone has the option of “signing up”)… it is not based on any of us deserving to get it or maintain it (Ephesians 2:8-9)… making / being on the team is entirely based upon what Jesus has done for us, not what we do for Him!


Even though it goes against my coaching/athletic tendencies, NO ONE deserves to be on the team or stay on the team… we “all fall short” (Romans 3:23) but He stands tall! Just a reminder to be clear that salvation is “by grace through faith, not of yourselves, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)


But a side note: I still don’t believe everyone gets trophies (rewards); the Scriptures are clear that being on the team has nothing to do with us deserving it… but gaining rewards are based upon faithfulness!