Football

Perhaps I'm just over-anxious for football season to start up, but as I was reading Acts today, something occurred to me...

Somewhere in the middle of Acts, some guys were beaten by the Jews because of their Christianity... the guys left and counted it an honor to be mistreated because of the name of God.

Think of a half-back in football... the running back. The guy who gets the ball and the coach says go right through the middle and let them slam into you... go straight up to that linebacker who will cream you. The half-back runs the play, gets nailed, and heads to the sideline, and counts it an honor that he was chosen for the job.

Why?? Cause he got hit?? No, of course not... Cause he got yards... kinda. Cause he was Chosen!! He was considered right for that job. In our lives in Christianity, I think sometimes we focus on the pain that might come rather than the job at hand... rather than the fact that God still chooses us for jobs... God still asks us to live our lives and reach out and all that. I was also reading earlier about The Ethiopian... and God nudged a guy named Philip and knowing nothing more than the fact that God asked him to, Philip went and talked to that guy about faith. He was chosen... he had no clue how that play was going to turn out... much like a half-back. Sometimes he gets a touchdown... sometimes he gets tackled for a loss. Often times it isn't because of what he does but is the result of the actions of others... and he counts himself honored to be chosen to be the one to get punished like that.

Think of it... the biggest suffering you're likely to experience as a Christian in America is that occasionally someone might make fun of you. You aren't going to be beaten or arrested or lose your inheritance. And yet... we often count ourselves unfortunate because of the "suffering" we are forced to endure for our God.