Faith in What?

Watching 40 year-old Brett Favre lead the Minnesota Vikings last night made me wonder if the guy was human. It seemed like he was being hit on every play and yet he kept getting up for more.

The Vikings eventually lost the NFC Championship game to the New Orleans Saints in overtime, but the memories of Favre's effort are etched in the minds of many.

So the question remains, "Will he really retire?" (He's retired and un-retired twice now). He has to be asking himself, "Will my body take another year of this pounding?" For him to continue playing, his body must be able to support him. Even though he seems super-human, the fact is that Brett Favre's body will eventually wear out.

This is where the problem lies with many of us. We put our trust in faulty support systems. We have faith that we will always have a job, that we won't run out of money, that we will always have particular talents and that our bodies will always be able to do what they do.

When we begin to lose these things or they start to deteriorate we find ourselves in trouble. We find that we have put our faith in the wrong things, in things that don't last.

There is only one thing that is eternal and that is Jesus. Put your faith in Him and you will be building your house on a firm foundation.

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

Matthew 7:24-27

Leaders & Cheerleaders

I get a magazine each month called Sharing the Victory which is put out by Fellowship of Christian Athletes. It is a great read with some very inspiring and encouraging articles. This month was no exception.

This month's cover story is about the record-setting quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, Drew Brees. I highly recommend the article.

Les Steckel, FCA's President talked about Brees and the power of encouragement in his Coach's Corner segment of the magazine which I thought I'd share:

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say something a little controversial. I think Drew Brees is underpaid.

It’s OK if you disagree with that statement. I think I’m a little biased having coached NFL quarterbacks for so many years and seeing the amount of pressure and scrutiny they endured. Guys like Brees—true leaders in every sense of the word—have a certain kind of pressure on them that most of us will never understand. So, in my opinion, when you find a leader who is able to handle extremely high-pressure and split-second situations with such skill and grace, he (or she) is worth a big price tag.

In my travels, I often get one statement from those I meet: “So, tell me about leadership, Coach.”

As far as leadership in my own life, as a former officer in the United States Marine Corps, I personally follow the 11 leadership principles they teach. Some of those include knowing yourself and seeking self-improvement, setting an example, training your men as a team, and keeping the troops informed. But one other trait I’ve noticed in great leaders—particularly through sports—is that they are also the best cheerleaders.

Watch Drew Brees on the field before a game. He’s out there leading his team in a chant to get them fired up and ready to play. On more than one occasion this season, as you’ll read about in this month’s cover story, the Saints have been down by large margins and Brees has led them to comeback victories. How? By keeping his team encouraged and instilling in them the confidence they needed to rally and win.

“We can be powerful reminders to those around us of God’s power and the fact that He works for our good in all situations.”What a powerful lesson to apply to our lives as we begin 2010. Each of us is called to some form of leadership. Whether that is in our business, our classroom, our home, our sport or our ministry, we all are called to lead and govern in some way, even if it is small. How can we do that in a way that effectively inspires others and shows them the love of Christ? One way is for us to begin taking the words of the Apostle Paul seriously when he says to encourage and build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Think about the people in your own life who have inspired and encouraged you through difficult situations. How great and wonderful it is to hear a timely “atta boy” or “you can do it” just when you need it the most. I imagine that all the players in a huddle with Drew Brees feel 10 times more capable of doing their jobs on the field after he has reminded them that they are skillful and talented athletes. As Christians, we can do the same thing for our brothers and sisters by encouraging them with truth from Scripture and by reminding them of who they are in Christ and what He is capable of doing through their trials. We can be powerful reminders to those around us of God’s power and the fact that He works for our good in all situations.

I want to challenge you this month to examine your own leadership skills in the area of encouragement. Try following the example of Drew Brees—one of the most effective Christian leaders in the game of football—and be a cheerleader and encourager for those you lead. Bless them by speaking the powerful truth of Christ into their lives and assuring them that, through His power and strength, they can achieve His great purposes. Who knows? You might find yourself being encouraged in the process.

Working to Glorify Him

Reggie Bush, the star running back for the USC Trojans and now the New Orleans Saints made it fashionable to write something on your "eye black" stickers. Many players wear these to cut down on glare from the sun and I believe many wear them simply to be cool. Bush used to write his area code of his home town on his and many players have begun to do the same thing.

On Saturday in Ohio State's lopsided win over arch-rival Michigan, James Laurinaitis, the Buckeye's star linebacker also had something written on his eye black stickers. He had "John" on one and "17:1" on the other.

John 17:1 says, After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that Your Son may glorify You."

Two months ago I was asked to speak to a leadership bible study group in Toledo. While there I met a young man who is involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Ohio State. He shared with me that James Laurinaitis is one of a handful of players who rarely miss a meeting and he said he is on fire for Christ. He said he is the real deal.

This is so refreshing. So, to me, Laurinaitis was saying that he wanted his play to glorify Christ on Saturday. How cool is that? Let's let what we do glorify Him today!