Living Life in the End Zone

Well the Superbowl may be over for the season but true football fans realize that just because you aren’t seeing the player on a field right now doesn’t mean they aren’t actively involved in training for the next seasons game. To be at their best they must train year round.

For those of you that don’t have a clue what the game is all about, let me sum it up for you in a few phrases:

*Two Teams *A Ball *The end zone *Get the ball to the end zone, and get it there as many times as possible, preferably

more than the other team.

That’s football. All the timeouts, huddles and penalties, plays and commentary are just by products of the real issue: two teams, one ball, get it to the end zone.

Sounds easy enough right? Well I probably need to mention that while one team is trying to get the ball to the end zone there are forces fighting against them.

There are tackles that drop them to the ground but they hold tight to the ball. There are tackles that take them to the ground and they are so shaken that they drop the ball allowing the other team to snatch it away. There are grabs and shoves that knock them off course but not down. There are missed passes and failed plays. Sometimes they make progress toward the goal and sometimes not. Sometimes there are penalty flags that set them back when it’s not even the ball carriers mistake that caused the penalty.

But the point is to gain as much yardage as possible and push your way down field and into the end zone.

They never forget their purpose and they never lose focus of their goal. Why? They want to make it to the SUPERBOWL.

They don’t become professional football players to sit on the bench. And they don’t just want to play. They want to win. And they don’t want win just to be winning...they want to win to go to the SUPERBOWL.

Paul says in 2 Tim 4:6-8 For I am already poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.

Paul won his SUPERBOWL. He reached that end zone over and over despite being knocked down, beaten and stripped of the ball on more than one occasion. Paul never lost sight of his goal which was to reach Heaven and take as many players with him as he could.

Our challenge is to run fast, dodge the enemies blocks and distractions and to keep moving the gospel ball forward as we make our way toward the end zone. When Satan knocks us down we get back up and keep on advancing.

In Matt 16:18 Jesus said “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

We have a great homecoming ahead and a Superbowl Sunday beyond imagination!

Never give up! Never give in! And if knocked down, get right back up again!

Rita Sanders