“We need to learn how to play soccer, not just run around!”
As I watched eleven-year-old boys play soccer, I heard the coach make the statement. My grandson was one of the eager players with inexhaustible energy. Since my own son played as a youngster, the excitement of watching returned. I observed carefully. The referees called the plays, and the game stopped each time an infraction occurred. When the ball went out of bounds, the game stopped. If somebody from our team was at fault, the opposing team gained possession of the ball. They threw the ball in from the boundary line, and play began again with them having the advantage. When the opposing team pushed the ball out of bounds, our team resumed play with the advantage. The team with better playing skills—dribbling, kicking, and blocking—advanced more quickly, and the opportunities for shooting goals increased.
I thought about the coach’s words. Life is learning to play the game, not just runnng around. God gives us a playing field with boundaries, rules, and regulations. He instructs us in wisdom and leads us along straight paths. We can know where our goal is and keep moving toward it. When we go out of bounds or break a rule, the opposition gains advantage over us. We then need to repent. When the opposition goes out of bounds or breaks a rule, we take the advantage by forgiving and getting back in the game.
Opportunities to reach your goal increase with your level of life skills, education, and talents. These equip you to play life on the field God gave you. Don’t just run around.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Marcia Vogl is the founder and director of Bethany Projects and is the author of The Path Forward. She is an ordained minister who partners with Hidden with Christ Ministries of Tustin, CA. She also ministers through personal prayer sessions, mentoring workshops, and retreats. She holds a B.A. and an M.S. in music education and has trained at Elijah House. Marcia has completed both a Master and a Doctorate of Practical Ministry degree at Wagner Leadership Institute, with a specialty in women's ministry, deliverance, and workplace ministries. Other career experiences include being a music teacher for grades K-8, a college instructor for teacher credentials candidates, a full time mom, and a document supervisor in the mortgage industry. You can follow her at http://bethanyprojects.org and https://www.facebook.com/bethanyprojects.