Lessons From World Cup Football, Part 4: Protection and Underestimation
Two more "nuggets" now from the World of soccer in our soccer series…
Protection…
In Football, winning is not only about goal-scoring but also goal-defending!
You can bank upon Gordon Banks anytime old timers would say of World's greatest goalkeeper. Old English football commentators bemoaning his absence (taken ill before the match) in a critical quarter-final encounter against ole' enemy Germany, which England lost despite leading 2-0 at one time, even today claim the Banks presence could have made all the difference on that day.
So a good guardian of the goal can indeed spell the difference between the Victor and the Vanquished in a Football match.
In the Church also "good guardians of the Biblical truths" are required lest the apostates and heretics score a goal on devils behalf (Jude 1:3/I Thess 5:21). With several wrong doctrines and cultists on the prowl, how do we guard ourselves against their subtle machinations? The answer is to be well-grounded in the Scriptures, so we can immediately detect their wrong teachings. A banker (Banks again eh!) Would say the best way to detect a counterfeit currency is to know well how the original one looks. Ditto in the Spiritual realm! Didn't somebody also say in the same context "You can recognize a crooked line only when you know how a straight line looks"?
Underestimation…
So we think that a goalkeeper is merely 'the last line of defence' with an
important role to play in saving goals, but with no role to play in scoring
goals and basking in the limelight subsequently.
Nay! A shrewd guardian of the citadel is actually the 'first line of offence' say Sports analysts. A crafty goalie, while taking a routine goal kick, does not look at it as one long aimless punt 'into the middle', but rather as an opportunity to pass the ball the aerial way to some unguarded teammate to seize the opportunity on the moment!
How like in the Christian realm! In His kingdom, unexpectedly the least are used of the Lord for achieving great 'goals'. Do not underestimate your own capacity, when it comes to be used by the good Lord. For instance, John 4:29 captures the scene of the most unlikely 'woman missionary' in action, so much so our Lord remarked in the context of rewards on the judgment day that there shall be plenty of surprises… "But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first." (Matt 19:30 NKJV)
Not in the frontline? Dear brother/sister do not get discouraged. Make taking the 'goal kick' whole-heartedly and meaningfully for the Lord, your goal! Prayer:
Father in heaven, enable us to use the Scriptures both as instruments of offense and defense. We also pray for a humble spirit to serve thee far away from limelight, at times. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Suresh Manoharan
Hyderabad-India
www.jandsmministries.com