Hey Mighty Men
My son’s rugby team went up to the Midlands to play in a rugby festival over a long weekend. They won their first two games in commanding fashion but we knew that the last day of the tournament was going to present a far stiffer challenge. But, we (players and supporters), were quietly confident as our scrum was powerful and our players incredibly fit. The match now under way, lived up to the pre-match hype and at half time we were behind 8-0. We didn’t look like scoring even though the parity on the field was even. It was our back line – it had no penetration. At half-time the coach had to make a call. Leave things as they were and hope something changes or acknowledge that the backline as it stood, needed an overhaul. The coach started the second half not wanting to risk change, wanting to trust in the comfort of his existing selection. With 25 minutes to go and still 8-0 down he could see that the opposing team had clearly exposed the weaknesses in his back-line and he needed to make changes now to win the game. It took courage to substitute players who had won him the first two games comfortably, but he did. The Fly-Half went to Scrummy, the First Centre went to Fly half and they brought on a new center pairing (Inside center originally a fly half himself). The existing outside center moved to wing and the wing was substituted with the original scrumhalf. The game came alive instantly as the new back line went in to score their first try. In the final 20 minutes they went on to score another three tries winning the game 28-8. Without the pressure and intensity of the opposition team our coach would never have “discovered” the brilliance of his new backline.
After our recent Gideon Experience weekend, I had a number of men mention to me how difficult, challenging and at times just downright impossible life had become. Have you not experienced that before? Where you have for whatever reason made a serious commitment to Christ, to honour Him, to live for Him, to take His call for your life seriously just for the wheels to come off, for things to go horribly wrong in your business life, family life, church life and you wonder why?
What if your life was like my son’s rugby team that was able to comfortably win games as they were but they needed to face stiff opposition, opposition that in their original shape would overcome them? To win they had to recognize that changes had to be made, then have the courage to make them and execute them!!
What if God is allowing the tough times to come into your lives, to help you see the areas of your business life, family life and church life that have to change so that you can successfully navigate the call on your life? What if God knows that your present game plan isn’t enough for what He has for you and he needs you to make some changes and positional shifts in your lifestyle to make you more creditable, more influential and more effective for Him?
A friend of mine has coined a phrase “Take Advantage of the Disadvantage”. That is in the hardships and challenges you are facing be teachable and look for:
- The lessons God is trying to show you.
- Areas of your life/character that need maintenance or be done differently.
- Behaviours/actions that have to end and what new practices need to be introduced.
When you have processed those thoughts, begin to live the promise you made to God, or live the promise God has made to you, even though you are still in the desert of your experience. My son’s team was losing when they made the changes, they were still losing when they embraced the new style of play, they were still losing when they scored their first try, but the tide was turning. They were living the promise of the changes that they had made.
Men, take advantage of the disadvantage you are in and live out the promise in the desert. Your tide will change. Momentum and favour will swing your way as God leads you out of the desert into your destiny!! It’s going to take courage; it’s going to call on every ounce of your faith but it is going to be worth it!!
Advancing His Kingdom with you,
Gavin Janssens
