YOU CHOOSE
Years ago I read about a Little League baseball game where a boy made an error that cost his
team the championship. His coach immediately rushed onto the field and in the presence of his
parents and more than two-hundred fans, humiliated him with blistering scorn and ridicule be-
cause of his error. The young boy left the field, head down, brokenhearted and in tears.
Not long after, I read about another athletic contest. This time in involved four grade schools.
This was during the annual Spring Festival. Teams from each school participated in several
contests--three-legged races, sack races, a tug of war, ball toss, etc. One such event was an egg
relay race. This was a race where the participants had to carry a hard-boiled egg in a spoon to the
finish line. In the middle of the race a little girl dropped the egg, and needless to say, cost her
team any chance of winning that event. She was on her hands and knees, frightened, crying and
not knowing what to do. A High School boy (not her brother or any other relative) ran out of the
stands, gently picked her up, reassured her, helped her get the egg back on her spoon and
encouraged her to finish the race.
The difference between the two events is apparent. In the first one, the game was all that mat-
tered--no compassion, no understanding, no encouragement--only winning. In the second event, helping the little girl regain her composure and confidence and encouraging her to finish the race
was the older boy’s concern.
This lesson is easily translated to Christianity. At times we all have trouble “keeping our feet”
in the Christian race. The important thing is not if we falter, but do we get on our feet again and
finish the race--not to come in first, but to finish! The Bible says “exhort one another” (Heb.
3:13). To exhort is to entreat, to urge one to pursue, to look to the future, to encourage one
another to finish the course.
In pursuit of our heavenly goal, we will sometimes stumble. When we do, the older, spiritual-
ly stronger, more mature Christians are to come to our rescue, to reassure, encourage and exhort
us to finish the race. They will not scorn or ridicule because we have faltered. Which will you do
when a brother or sister stumbles? You choose!
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: Some families can trace their ancestry back three hundred years,
but can’t tell you where their children were last night!
Love ya,
Jesse
team the championship. His coach immediately rushed onto the field and in the presence of his
parents and more than two-hundred fans, humiliated him with blistering scorn and ridicule be-
cause of his error. The young boy left the field, head down, brokenhearted and in tears.
Not long after, I read about another athletic contest. This time in involved four grade schools.
This was during the annual Spring Festival. Teams from each school participated in several
contests--three-legged races, sack races, a tug of war, ball toss, etc. One such event was an egg
relay race. This was a race where the participants had to carry a hard-boiled egg in a spoon to the
finish line. In the middle of the race a little girl dropped the egg, and needless to say, cost her
team any chance of winning that event. She was on her hands and knees, frightened, crying and
not knowing what to do. A High School boy (not her brother or any other relative) ran out of the
stands, gently picked her up, reassured her, helped her get the egg back on her spoon and
encouraged her to finish the race.
The difference between the two events is apparent. In the first one, the game was all that mat-
tered--no compassion, no understanding, no encouragement--only winning. In the second event, helping the little girl regain her composure and confidence and encouraging her to finish the race
was the older boy’s concern.
This lesson is easily translated to Christianity. At times we all have trouble “keeping our feet”
in the Christian race. The important thing is not if we falter, but do we get on our feet again and
finish the race--not to come in first, but to finish! The Bible says “exhort one another” (Heb.
3:13). To exhort is to entreat, to urge one to pursue, to look to the future, to encourage one
another to finish the course.
In pursuit of our heavenly goal, we will sometimes stumble. When we do, the older, spiritual-
ly stronger, more mature Christians are to come to our rescue, to reassure, encourage and exhort
us to finish the race. They will not scorn or ridicule because we have faltered. Which will you do
when a brother or sister stumbles? You choose!
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: Some families can trace their ancestry back three hundred years,
but can’t tell you where their children were last night!
Love ya,
Jesse
Comments
Post a Comment