“When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.” —Corrie ten Boom
Sports are great! My entire life, I have enjoyed both playing and watching a wide variety of sports (football, baseball, hockey, wrestling, boxing, etc.). By the grace of God, my wife also enjoys sports, and we pretty much enjoy watching anything with a competitive element – especially football. We can spend a lot of time together watching, talking about, and dissecting the game. In our dissection, the one thing we always come back to is those that emerge as champions (individual/team) are masters of discipline. They are disciplined in their determination, sacrifice, and training.
In many ways, our Christian faith can be compared to that of sports. The Apostle Paul clearly was a sports fan (likely attended the ancient Isthmian Games), and he compared the attributes of athletes to the attributes that should be present in the lives of Christians. Paul said, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25).
To be a champion in the Christian faith, as in sports, discipline is a must. It is not easy, and it too requires determination, sacrifice, and training. I have been a pastor and chaplain for almost 25 years. During those years, both in the church and the Army, I have seen and experienced a lot – some easy and some difficult. What we are experiencing right now is difficult, and it requires discipline.
Something I know to be 100% true is one of the greatest disciplines available to all Christians is the invitation to pray. USACE, I encourage all Christians to apply this discipline during these challenging times. Why? Because God sees, He knows, and He invites you to do exactly that – PRAY!
In chapter 4, the writer of Hebrews said three things about “Sabbath-Rest” that I often use in counseling:
- God sees you! “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (v13).
- God knows what we are experiencing! “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (v14-15).
- God invites you to speak with Him! “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (v16).
USACE, know that I have read, in detail, every email you have sent me, and please hear these three things: First, I will continue praying for you. Second, hundreds of your fellow USACE teammates have committed to join me in prayer. And, third, I am asking all of us to join one another in prayer. I attaching a prayer sent to me from one of our co-workers that I believe covers all the requests I have received. Please join me in praying that prayer at least once every day for one another – insert names where appropriate.
Blessings,
Chaplain (Colonel) Brad Baumann