Getting Into the Game

Have you ever noticed who the most vocal people are at sporting events?  The people with all the right answers, all the right calls, all right suggestions?  This group of people likes to huddle together, dress warm, and never get dirty. The reason is Fans never do.

Fans sit on the sidelines and have plenty of time to be critical.  The reason is because comfortable chairs always leads to plenty of time to think. 

The players on the other hand are in the game.  Everything they have is on the line.  They are busy in the trenches getting muddy, sweating, and many times -weary from outside criticism.

I give the above analogy to bring up the service in church yesterday.  The youth helped participate in many areas: from ushering & greeting, to lay-leading & lighting the advent wreath, to running the PC slides & presenting the youth DVD on PowerPoint. 

I am so proud that our teenagers actually got off of the cushioned pews and into the game.  I am not sure about you, so let me speak for myself, I can say with assurance that when I was their age -I would not be caught dead leading a church service.  (Unless of course, you had some type of bribe).

Concluding this thought, there is a challenge for all of us.  In your life, are you sitting on the sidelines?

Nitpicking. 

Criticizing.

Looking for cracks in others and then waiting to zap them.

If so, this may be a sign that you are spending too much time in the bleachers and not enough in the game.    Has God laid something on your heart that you should go for?  Are you ignoring your passions, gifts and talents that He has uniquely designed you with? 

Wherever you are in life, it is never to late to suit up and leave the pews...or the bleachers and step onto the field.

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for their is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Death were you are all going."     

 -Ecclesiastes 9:10