Football has had a major impact on my life. It provided me with the opportunity to go to college and it taught me the meaning of sacrifice and discipline (two essentials for succeeding at anything).
I was a decent player in high school and earned a football scholarship to
I never would have received that academic scholarship had I not been able to go to MTSU and earn good grades. Football opened the door for me to get into college and then it provided me with the opportunity to gain another means to get my education. I could never had afforded college. Football was my ticket in.
Football also taught me about what it takes to do well in life. Vince Lombardi* once said, "Football is a great deal like life in that it teaches that work, sacrifice, perseverance, competitive drive, selflessness and respect for authority is the price each and every one of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile."
I know some people think football players are crazy. They see the demands to practice daily in a hundred degree heat, to put on all that equipment, to hit, and to condition muscles year round and those that never played genuinely can’t understand the attraction.
You have to experience the joy of the competition to get it. To quote Vince Lombardi again, "I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle-victorious." Victorious does not just mean on the scoreboard. It means that you have given all you've got and can walk away with no regrets.
In order to feel that joy players have to make sacrifices. To succeed in anything you have to be willing to discipline yourself and make great sacrifices.
My hero and the hope of my life is Jesus Christ. The reason He is my hero and my hope is because of what He did for me and what He calls His followers to do.
Hebrews 12:1-3 let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
This text provides three challenges.
- Get the sin out of your life so it won’t slow you down. (v.1)
Be ruthless with yourself and do not tolerate any sort of sin in your life.
- Be like Jesus and make sacrifices for the greater good (v.2)
For the joy of seeing us saved Jesus sacrificed Himself so we could be forgiven of sin and be made right with God.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 10:8-10 if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
The wise person will accept what Christ has given: forgiveness and eternal friendship.
- Don’t grow weary and quit (v.3).
Quitting is the easiest and most expensive thing you can do.
How do you avoid quitting?
1. Focus on Jesus
2. Get junk out of your life that complicates it
3. Serve others
If you will do this, you will succeed.
You will succeed in relationships (friends/family/marriage).
You will succeed in school and business.
You will succeed personally (confident and encouraged).
Email your questions and comments to me at jpettus@lhbg.org.
*The great coach of the Green Bay Packers for whom the Super Bowl Trophy is now named who over a nine-year span as head coach racked up a remarkable 76% winning percentage. He coached in 10 division playoffs and World Championship games and emerged victorious nine times.
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