Football & Faith

SCRIPTURE:  But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:8-11 ESV

THOUGHT: As we sit at the top of the week, I’ve found myself in 1 Thessalonians 5, not hardly knowing where to start because there were so many passages that spoke to me. Consequently, you are getting an entire week of devotions from that chapter. It’s the end of his letter, and Paul is tucking in as much great coaching as he can.

Let’s huddle up with him a minute.

As if we were on a gridiron, he’s reminding us that we’re on a field that is dangerous. We need to be sober and aware, not distracted, but focused on the goal.

We need proper protection for our two most critical assets: heart and head. Faith and love are going to protect our hearts like a shield – and they’re also going to be the first things people notice about us. Faith and love in a rough and tumble world kind of stick out, don’t they? They operate both defensively and offensively. Properly protected, we don’t just hunker down, we move about with freedom and purpose. In Romans 13:12, Paul says, “let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” I love that word picture. An armor of light that moves with us wherever we go.

The hope of salvation will serve as a helmet, protecting our minds from the hard knocks so pervasive on the field of life. Many of those knocks will come against our minds, hits from the enemy of our soul, collisions with the world, and even skirmishes with our own flesh. The helmet of our salvation gives us a hope that can push back against our enemies as we trust that the triune God hasn’t destined us for wrath, but for an incredible eternity with him. And that hope isn’t just put on hold for someday, we already have a down payment with the gift of the Holy Spirit, who is our helper as we work our way downfield toward the goal.

Finally, the coach reminds us to encourage each other, to build each other up, and I think of how important that practice is for any team. We have tips of the trade and hope that we can share with each other – we aren’t meant to do this work solo; I need you as much as you need me. Perhaps you are a lineman or running back, or perhaps you are a quarterback, but try to imagine a team moving downfield without all of them functioning well.

Come to think of it, we’ve probably all seen that scenario, and don’t really want to repeat it in our own spiritual gridiron…!

PRAYER: Thank you for Coach Paul, oh God, who ran the race with endurance. Help us remember that we are running for a goal and prize too, and that we are running together with others going the same direction. Thank you for the protection that faith and love provide, and for the hope of a salvation that never ends.