The Nigerian Olympic soccer team had a problem. They were stranded for days at the Atlanta airport on their way to Rio. Flights were cancelled for a variety of reasons. And when they finally were able to leave, it was on the very day of their first game. They were scheduled to play Japan at 9PM, and they arrived in Rio past 2PM, just eight hours before game time. But they showed up for the game anyway. No excuses. And by the time the match ended, Nigeria secured a 5-4 victory over Japan.
What a picture of dedication and commitment. For me, it’s not so much the winning that is inspiring but the joint effort everyone put in just to play as best they could. They could have whined about the unfavorable conditions, or insisted on revising the schedule. Instead, they dug deep in themselves to access whatever energy was available to accomplish the task. Winning the match was a special bonus.
We would do well to review our experiences in Christian ministry. We may soon discover there were times when we easily allowed inconvenient circumstances or less than favorable conditions to get the better of us. Either we give less than our best, or we default altogether. Nothing to be proud of, but something we ought to learn to overcome more consistently.
The same may probably be true in our Christian living as well. We become so lax in living up to the standard of God’s moral values. The pressures of this world make us weary and we succumb to them. We give up even trying. We convince ourselves it’s not worth the effort anymore.
The Lord never promised that following him was going to be easy. In fact, he warned his would-be followers to expect challenges and difficulties. Not everything is going to work out according to what we want or expect. Yet he desires that we remain committed to his purpose, his plan, and his pattern. We must learn to dig deep within and find the One resource that he has made available for all who would trust him. “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and will cause you to remember everything I said to you” (John 14.26 NET). The apostle Paul writes: “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being” (Ephesians 3.16 NIV). And the apostle Peter adds: “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1.3 NIV).
No excuses.
—Keith Y. Jainga