"I've been playing basketball my whole life and I know I shouldn't have done that. It was a stupid play," Robinson said. "It wasn't the ref's fault. It was my fault." His university basketball career is over, and he has to live with that sad fact.
They call it March Madness in the USA. The best university teams come together over three weeks to declare one ultimate winner. One of the favourite teams this year was Pitt. Unfortunately they just lost an early game by one point. Lost because in the last second of the game, one of their best players needlessly fouled the other team. After the game, near tears, he took full responsibility as seen in the memorable quote above.
Have you been following Christ for a long time, nearly "your whole life". It doesn't matter. You are still vulnerable to making a stupid play, making a mistake, committing sin that can cause a great deal to be lost.
Think about it. One stupid mistake can cost an important basketball game or cost thousands of dollars. Because of one stupid mistake some have lost a job, a ministry, a career, a marriage. One stupid mistake has put some people in prison and for others it has resulted in death.
None of us are immune from mistakes - or sin. So the Lord taught us to pray "lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. So Paul reminds us that there are no unique temptations; God is faithful and provides a way out so we don't have to succumb to temptation and sin. (I Corinthians 10:13) So Peter reminds us "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (I Peter 5:8)
A lost basketball game is one thing. A sin, any sin, could prove very costly. So as Peter wrote: "Be self controlled and alert!"
No comments:
Post a Comment