On Being Washed Up

I used to be pretty good at basketball. Don't get me wrong, I was no Michael Jordan, but I could hold my own against most of my peers. I played recreation league ball until I was 14. I never played for my school, but in high school I would play often during P.E. class or up at our church during the week with some other guys.

Once I got to college, I played a good bit my freshman year with some folks from school. Then, in my sophomore year, I tore my ACL (thank you Jesse Pilkenton), and all my athletic endeavors came to a grinding halt for that year. I recovered from the injury, but I never really played basketball much anymore.

Well, the other day I decided I was going to get back in shape by playing with some older guys that come up here to the college where I work three times a week during lunch. Me and some guys whose age probably averages 50+....should be pretty easy, right?

Absolutely not. I was TERRIBLE, and they were pretty stinking amazing. I got dominated by these guys. It was so bad, my teammates stopped passing me the ball after awhile because I was missing some pretty easy shots. I guess that's what I get for not playing much in 3 years.

During the 2 days afterward, in which I nursed my bruises, sore muscles, and injured pride, I was reminded of my faith. Like basketball, if we want to be good at living our Christian life, we must practice it continually. We can't take a 3 year hiatus and then expect to be as fresh as a summer peach.

The guys that I played with the other day have been playing 3 times a week since 1975. Yeah. They're seasoned veterans. Old or not, they've been playing awhile, and it shows. That's discipline, being able to continue something like that for 30 some odd years. It would've been so easy for them to give up once they got older and sit around being lazy, thinking of the "good ole days" when they were good at basketball. But they've kept at it.

God wants us to be the same way. He wants us to be spiritually disciplined to the point that we continue practicing and living out our faith every day as long as we're alive. He doesn't want washed up Christians who reminisce about the old days. He wants sharp instruments, people who spend time with him daily in the Word and in prayer and people who are willing to do whatever it takes to bring him glory by making disciples of all nations.

I don't want to be a washed up Christian. It's bad enough in basketball, but the consequences for my faith can be a lot more injurious.