January 11, 2022 – Click here to listen
The Georgia Bulldogs finally won the National Championship last night against Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide. The last time our team won the National Championship was 40 years ago. It was a dogfight for the first three quarters and then The Dawgs pulled away in the fourth quarter and handily won 33-18.
It was all the sweeter knowing that we had been badly thumped by Alabama in the SEC Championship just a few weeks ago. Georgia made it to the playoffs anyway and were resolute that they were going to exact their revenge on Alabama in the National Championship game, and they did.
I had to drink a bottle of water before recording this post due to the fact I screamed my way through the game and nearly lost my voice. I yelled when we did something good and when we did something bad. It is rare for me to watch a game live; normally I record it and if we win, I watch it with no stress. If we lose, I delete it and save myself the grief. My youngest son texted midway through the game and said he couldn’t remember ever being that stressed over watching a football game and could not believe that I was watching it live.
As I was thinking about it today, I remembered the exhilaration when a Georgia player intercepted a pass as Alabama was trying to make a comeback and sealed the victory for Georgia. The fans, players, and coaching staff were so excited they could not contain themselves.
This reminded me of the spiritual battle in which we are engaged and how sweet it will be to win the final victory against Satan and his army. Just imagine the celebration that will occur!
The players did not give up when they suffered such a heart-breaking setback in the SEC Championship. Instead, they went to work, and through hard work, determination, and faith in their team they were victorious. We must do the same when faced with the trials of this corrupt immoral world.
We are sure to lose a personal battle or two to sin along the way, but the moral of this story is never give up, even after a humiliating setback. In life, things will not always go well, but attitude still determines altitude as Zig Ziglar once said and the victory goes to those who don’t quit.
Hard lessons in life are just that . . . Lessons! Those who have the wherewithal to understand that lessons teach us how to win and continue the fight being much wiser from those bad experiences are the true champions. Those who cannot get by their devastating loss will never know the thrill that these young football players experienced.
My boxing coach told me one time, “If you get knocked down, get right back up and don’t let your guard down again”. Duhhh . . . The same holds true in life. Setbacks are guaranteed in life. It is how you react to them that determines whether success will ultimately be yours. If you want to win, you must not quit, or make the same mistake again, or blame someone else, (God included).
Focus on Jesus and fight the good battle. I’m reminded of Moses as he watched the battle that ensued as the Jewish nation prepared to enter the Holy Land. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites would prevail, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites prevailed. When Moses’ hands grew tired, Aaron and Hur took a stone and put it under Moses and he sat on it, and then Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ hands so Israel would prevail.
The team concept works in spiritual battles. No Christian is in this battle alone and we have Christian brothers and sisters innumerable fighting the same enemy. The Bible tells us that we should unite with God and each other, (His church) when we fight.
Our common enemy is sin and Satan, he can and will be defeated. So don’t quit the fight, we are closer to the victory than any of us can imagine. And when the battle is over and Christ prevails, the warriors for Christ will celebrate and all of heaven will applaud. Our little football celebration and unmitigated joy last night will pale into insignificance in comparison to stepping into God’s winner’s circle.
Don’t ever give up. Paul who was terribly persecuted describes his mission as follows: 1 Timothy 6:12 “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
And now for the good part:
2 Tim 4:7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Let the celebration begin!