May 1, 2023 - Why Study The Playbook... (Let it SERVE you!)

Over the years we have always shared that the Word of God is our “playbook” for how we obtain our place on the team (faith in the atoning death and resurrection of the Substitute) and how we should then “play the game” --- (we have always been careful to distinguish between a playbook and a rulebook, as the latter doesn’t bring a lot of excitement… and anyone I know that studies a rulebook is a referee… maybe that is why so many legalists start “blowing the whistle” and pointing fingers!)

I love studying the “Playbook” and gaining new insight… yesterday as I prepped for teaching a Sunday School class, I was in the first chapter of the Book of James and found some great nuggets of truth…

Let me start by asking you (and me) this question: do you get excited about the idea of studying a playbook? Because just like studying a rulebook, it doesn’t necessarily bring excitement… most that study a playbook are players that simply want to figure out where to go and what to do in the “game” and it becomes more about the patterns of the plays than the purpose of the plays… it becomes an obligation as a player.

Yet by studying just the patterns of the plays we still tend to focus on personal obligation as opposed to personal responsibility/opportunity to help the team goal… or personal responsibility/opportunity to teammates and helping them succeed…

Yesterday’s study gave me even a fresher approach to the Word of God! In James 1 the first few verses challenge how we view life… going as far as to tell us to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials…” (vs 2) So it is already a bit strange in regards to perspective of how we view things… yet after it we are told, “if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (vs 5)

So, the idea, in context, is wisdom for navigating trials…  and then it tells us to “ask in faith” (vs 6), in other words, in trusting what God has to say… because He is trustworthy!

There is so much good stuff we could unpack her, but hopefully you will want to dig in and unpack it after reading this next part… I want to focus for just a moment on the word “wisdom.”

We know (based upon vs 5) that wisdom is gained through God giving it liberally… it is available to anyone that HEARS and ACTS upon the Word of God (see Jesus’s words in Matthew 7:24)!

So hear is the cool part… wisdom, according to its Greek definition, involves: skill in the management of affairs… in other words, it is “butler” --- the Word is designed to help us manage life!

As I shared this little nugget with my daughter Faith, she immediately said, “isn’t that cool that the Word serves us!” In Salvation, Christ (the living Word) served us by going to the cross in our stead… in our Christian lives, the written Word is designed to SERVE us… it is truly for our good!!!

Dive into the Playbook knowing that it is not just GUIDING you but SERVING you!