Grace In The Heartland

I can hardly wait until tomorrow night. We are honoring some young ladies who accomplished something significant, and who, in the process, reminded me of an important lesson.

Last weekend I was in Lincoln, Nebraska, helping to coach a girl's high school varsity basketball team. The girls played extremely well in this weekend tournament and went undefeated in six games to win the tournament championship. It still makes me smile just thinking about it! As competitive as I am and as much as I like to win, the girls reminded me about grace.

The eight girls on our team represent several different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds. As you might imagine, sometimes those differences aren't appreciated by teens, and those differences can lead to tension. When you have tension between eight girls, it's not conducive to playing team-oriented, winning basketball.

But that's where grace comes in. Grace leads us to put our differences aside and accept each other just as God accepts us. Notice what Paul says in Galatians 6:2. "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

Grace leads me to be aware of, and care enough, about your burdens that I'm willing to help carry your burden rather than simply thinking about my own burden. That's the essence of teamwork. Paul says when we cooperate with each other in this way, we are fulfilling the law of Christ.

This past weekend, when these eight young ladies set aside all those differences that our culture say should divide them, but instead helped each other out, then they were successful. And isn't that really what grace teaches us--that ultimately when we carry each others burdens, our own burdens become lighter because someone else is helping us too!

Too often, however, I become consumed with my own trials. I don't look for opportunities to help ease someone else's burdens. And in the end, I end up carrying my burden alone. What I need to learn, is the lesson these girls demonstrated on the basketball court. When I focus on what I can do to help someone else succeed, it helps all of us succeed together, and ultimately leads to my own success.

Grace is all about helping others rather than simply thinking of myself. An important lesson learned about grace in the heartland.

Eyes On The Prize

As the Winter Olympics begin today in Italy I'll be keeping an eye on Jeremy Bloom, an athlete from Loveland, Colorado. Jeremy skis moguls and has won numerous competitions around the world in the last few years. In addition to being a world-class skier, Jeremy played for University of Colorado football team as a wide receiver and kick returner. After Jeremy is done competing in the Olympics, he will fly directly to Indianapolis to demonstrate his skills for National Football League scouts who will decide if he has a future in the NFL.

Jeremy's story has been an interesting one to follow because of the training and discipline necessary not simply to be a world-class athlete in one sport, but in two sports. Personally, I'm pulling for Jeremy to win a gold medal at the Olympics and then to fulfill his lifelong dream to play professional football in the NFL.

I'm reminded of how many allusions to athletics there are in the New Testament. This undoubtedly has to do with Christianity growing up in the same region of the world where the Olympics were born. Notice, for example, this passage in Hebrews 12:1,2. "Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..."

To be a successful athlete requires remarkable amounts of time spent in training that most people rarely see. It also requires tremendous discipline and perseverance to perfect the skills that hopefully, will one day enable them to experience the pinnacle of athletic success. For some like Jeremy Bloom, it may be the pursuit of a medal. For others such as Jerome Bettis, runnig back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it is the Lombardi trophy awarded to the winners of the Super Bowl. What enables those athletes to persevere on those days when training is just so much drudgery and pain is the realization that a prize awaits them if they persevere.

Let's go back and consider Hebrews 12:1,2. The writer of Hebrews tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus. Why? First, because He is the perfect example of someone who patiently endured hardship and demonstrated what perseverance is truly all about. But I also believe that we need to fix our eyes on Jesus because He isn't only our example, He's also the "prize" to be received for persevering.

One day this race called life will be completed. If we have persevered because we kept our eyes fixed on Jesus, we will get to spend all eternity with the One who ran the race before us, and by His example showed us how to endure in spite of all obstacles.

I don't know what obstacles and challenges you face in your life today. But may I encourage you to patiently endure and persevere in spite of what may come your way. Remember--keep your eyes on the prize!

Grace at Work

"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good." 1 Corinthians 12:7

1 Corinthians 12 has always intrigued me--in fact the first sermon I ever preached was on this chapter. The chapter's focus is Spiritual Gifts and how these gifts help to make the Body of Christ well-rounded and effective. It wasn't until I got a little Greek under my belt that I discovered that the word used for spiritual gifts in this chapter could literally be translated "grace gifts." I like that. God, through His grace gives His followers gifts that enable them to communicate His grace to others. So, for me, ultimately this chapter is about grace--receiving it from God to communicate it to others.

As I reflected on my week, I thought of the many times I experienced people using their various gifts in ways that were complementary.

Last weekend my partners and co-founders of LifePlan Ministries presented a workshop called "Live Your Purpose." The three of us have different gifts (thank God!), that complement each other rather well.

On Tuesday afternoon, I was involved in a pastoral staff meeting where, once again, different gifts were on display that demonstrated a unifying, complementary approach to the Body of Christ.

Later that afternoon, I helped to coach a girls basketball game. Each of the three coaches brings different gifts, skills, and abilities to the table, and it's fun to be involved in a precess where three diverse people can work cooperatively together toward a common goal.

During the course of that basketball game, I watched as the girls on the team used their various talents and skills to work together to achieve something that was important to them. They won the game, and I still marvel about how girls from such different cultural and demographic backgrounds can set aside all their differences and can blend their talents for the common good.

Wednesday, I was involved in a discussion with our senior pastor and the children's pastor and I left the discussion amazed at how God can use three people with different personality types, life experiences, and perspectives to help develop a project that will strengthen the local church.

But in reality, maybe these examples shouldn't amaze me. Perhaps what should be amazing is when people don't cooperatively use their "grace gifts." How sad it is when people don't get to experience God's grace because they selfishly believe that using their gifts for the common good will somehow diminish them, rather than building them up.

I hope you got to experience the joys of diversity, cooperation, and unity this week. One of the truly gratifying experiences of life is to see God's grace at work!