Get off of the Bench.

[Just in time for March Madness]

It may be hard to accept, but there are quite a few people that just aren’t that into sports.  I know I am putting myself out there for criticism to say that. I will be even more risky and admit that I am one of those persons.  That is not a popular stance to take, especially in our culture.  If you care to check out the following link, http://www.interestingideas.com/ii/sports.htm, that pretty much spells it out for me.

Now imagine the number of people involved, who, not wanting to be “out-ed” are sitting on the sidelines or even on the bench, who are simply pretending to care, who have no athletic prowess and pray not to be put into the game and humiliated by their clumsiness.  If they have to be placed in the game, please let it be the most insignificant position possible.  That way no one will notice that they have no ability, and furthermore, are just not that into sports.  They go to all of the practices, attend all of the games, enjoy the fraternity of being with their friends, but it is quite frankly all a front, for they much prefer to simple stay on the bench.

Now, I ask you to please allow me the former assumptions as it is not my intent to fight for their cause or argue the point, but all of the aforementioned is simply to illustrate the following point.  For many in the church today, they are just not really that into the whole Jesus thing. They enjoy the fraternity and fellowship of friends but they would hate to be “found out” by Grandma or the in-laws. Christianity for them is pretty much just a cultural front.  They consider themselves to be Christian, but would perhaps refrain from calling themselves disciples, and certainly not saints.  They like the trappings of what being a part of the Church can do for them.  They like being on the team but when it comes to putting the faith into practice, they fear being found out.  You see, they just aren’t that into the Jesus thing.

Wilbur Reese states a similar attitude in

Three Dollars Worth of God:

I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please.
Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep,
but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk
or a snooze in the sunshine.
I don’t want enough of God to make me love a black man
or pick beets with a migrant.
I want ecstasy, not transformation.
I want warmth of the womb, not a new birth.
I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack.
I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please.

That is certainly an “I’m staying on the bench” attitude. 

 The only reasons to be on the bench are:

1. 1.     You have no faith and are simply a pretender.  That’s a dangerous place to be.

1. 2.     You say you have faith, but it is untried.  Untried faith is no faith at all, and a dangerous place to be.

God said:  “Get in the game.”    You are going to mess up.  You are going to miss the shot from time to time; perhaps often.  You will commit personal fouls.  There will be times you will embarrass yourself.  There will be times – probably most of the time – you will feel inadequate for the task at hand.  Moses said the same thing you know.

In one way it is just like sports.  You are not going to get any better unless you get in the game.  James said the only faith possible is one that is out there working.  Sitting on the bench is no faith at all.