How we play our end game is important. In Super Bowl 58 many of us watched two great football teams play. Brock Purdy, the young quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers did a brilliant job of connecting with his pass receivers. The 49ers led at half-time.
Their opponent was the Kansas City Chiefs. There is something about the Kansas City Chiefs that allows them to end a game well.
At half-time, it was right end Travis Kelsey, who gave the pep talk in the locker room to his losing Kansas City Chiefs team. I was surprised at the moderate, but effective message he gave to his team mates. It was reported that he just told them they were good enough to win, and to just go out there and do what they normally do.
At the end of the four quarters the game was tied, so the game went into overtime. You could see the determined effort of the tired, worn out teams. But they persevered anyway. The Chiefs never gave up. They were carrying on in spite of no clear outcome.
The Kansas City Chiefs finally scored and won the Super Bowl. They ended the season well.
We too, need to persevere to end well. I have a deep sense of sorrow, when I see someone not ending life well because they ignored living a life of faith or by failing in integrity or in faithfulness. We need to be a people of prayer who have a deep sense of concern and caring for other people. So many destroy their reputations or their own families by obvious poor choices, by lust, greed or selfishness.
When we are going through trials and suffering, or when we are in relationships with friends and family, we need to end well by blessing them. That will be your spiritual legacy.
If you are in Christ, just be who you are in Christ. Look to the One who is truly in control. We just do what we normally do as God’s people, and pray. We need to be very close and intimate with God. God loves you and wants the best for you. God wants to use you.
Our advantage is prayer, and our prayers are powerful and effective. James 5:16.
Christ is steadfast in His love for us. When we are steadfast in our love for Christ and the people He brings into our lives, we are all blessed.
The apostle Paul related how we are to pray when he described Epaphras. Epaphras was “always striving earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.” Epaphras had deep concern for his fellow Christians. Col.4:12-13
We end well when our lives reflect that we continue to “stand mature and fully assured in the will of God”.
You are good enough to win. Just go out there and do what you normally do in Christ’s wisdom and love.
Dr. Roger Holl is pastor of Sterling Grace Community Church and president of VisionAlaska, Inc. Charis Fellowship Ministries, with ministries in church revitalization, Christian radio and African ministries. Sterling Grace Community Church meets at the Sterling Senior Center on Sundays at 10:30 am. All ages are welcome.
