FACING THE GIANTS tells the story of a small high school football team and it’s coach as they face yet another losing season. Typical in many ways, extraordinary in others, you really shouldn’t miss it. But as a missionary there were two things in particular that really stood out.
First, I absolutely loved the way everyone in the church came together to make this project happen. The DVD special features highlight church members meeting in prayer for the success of their project. Those who couldn’t act a main part, or operate a piece of technical equipment would bring lunch for the crew. It was the picture of the body of Christ acting as it should-each part doing their part. How I wish more churches would work that way in taking the Gospel where it has never been!
Secondly, I was especially moved by the coach’s ‘turning point’ speech. We’ve all seen these kind of inspirational ‘let’s turn this team around’ type speeches before. But this really moved me. The coach, faced with the possible loss of his job, and after a day spent crying out to God, comes to a new realization of his place in this world.
He tells his team that their goal is NOT to win football games, that all those trophies will one day collect dust and be forgotten. He says, "Life is not about us. We’re not here to get glory, make money and die. The Bible says that God put us here for a purpose, to honor Him. If we win, we praise Him, if we lose, we praise Him. Either way we honor Him…..So I ask you, what are you living for? I’ve decided to give God everything I’ve got, and I’ll leave the results up to Him."
What a great summation of how we should live our lives! This world is not about us. We are not here to get all we can get. We are not here to be comfortable. We are not here for ourselves. We are here for God’s glory! Even for us as missionaries, our goal is not to see people saved. What?!? That’s right, our goal, our reason for going is to see God glorified. We are in the worship business, and it’s our job to help bring in new worshipers of the True God so that one day there will be people from every tongue tribe and nation praising the only One worthy of worship.
So, I’ll ask you what that coach asked his team,
What are you living for?
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