Its a Monday, and I don't often hide it--despite my discomfort with the violence of the sport and the blood-thirst with which many people experience the game--I enjoy the game of football. And today, as everyone in the sports world discusses what happened during yesterday's feast of games, I heard a sports radio show host say something about quarterbacks that is a profound thought for life in general and Christians in particular. Colin Cowherd said sometimes a person's limitations are directly related to their success. (Whether or not you like or even understand football--I believe you will find something of value here)
His comparison was between quarterbacks who are highly gifted athletes who, in addition to having strong arms and great knowledge of the game, can effectively run with the ball and quarterbacks who lack that athletic ability. The quarterbacks who lack mobility have to rely completely on their ability to find open receivers and throw the ball to them accurately and quickly before the defense can reach them. Running is not an option.
The point was this: great singers will find a way to sing even if the moment doesn't call for singing (have you ever experienced pastors who always seem to find an occasion to break out into song in the middle of a sermon?) Fantastic writers find occasions to write, and gifted athletes find the occasion to exercise their athletic ability. But sometimes the situation doesn't call for the expression of a particular gift. Usually in football, it is best if the quarterback can get the ball into someone else's hands rather than taking it himself. But for the quarterback who is a gifted runner--they find occasions to run, sometimes to the detriment of their team and other times to the detriment of their health.
Using this framework, Cowherd demonstrated the point by naming quarterbacks who more or less lack the athletic ability to run the ball themselves (Peyton Manning, Aaron Rogers, Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Drew Breeze). If you know football, you will recognize those names as five of the most successful quarterbacks in modern football. Cowherd argued that their lack of the ability to run actually helps them make better decisions because running the ball is not an option.
Can you image if we stopped seeing our limitations as barriers to be overcome and instead saw them as gifts that direct us into using our true giftedness to fulfill God's call on our lives! The God who has called us has also equipped us, which means even our weaknesses are strengths, for Paul reminded us, "The weakness of God is stronger than Human Strength." How has God used your weaknesses to fulfill God's purpose?
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