It’s the time of the year when winter sports teams are taking shape and seasons are hitting full-swing. I can’t help but think back to my days as a hockey player looking forward to team tryouts. I was an eighth grader looking forward to playing hockey and basketball. I was so excited! But, as things unfolded, the first tryouts for hockey came and went, and I didn’t make the team. I was crushed, but I still had high hopes for basketball tryouts. Well, I was cut from that, too. It was tough for me to think that I wasn’t good enough to make either of the teams I wanted so desperately to play for.

When this time of the year comes around, I think how about how great it is that we are already on God’s team. Could you imagine if our eternal life depended on how good of a person we were? That is something on which I would fall way short. Fortunately, Jesus picked everyone to be on His team, and He gives us opportunities to share that great news with others.

As good of news as that is, we sometimes pick and choose whom we want to share that message with, just as we coaches pick and choose who is good enough to make our teams. Jesus paid too big of a price for us to pick and choose who plays for Him. He died for everyone! We already pick our teams here on earth, so, today, let’s focus on being in tune with the Holy Spirit. When you feel prompted to stop on the on the side of the road to help someone or to go across the room and say hello to a person, listen and be obedient. John 13:7 says, “Jesus replied, ‘You do not realize now what I am doing but later you will understand.’” Listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to recruit players for His team. It may not make sense at the time, but at some point, Jesus will reveal His awesome plan to you. And it may have all begun because you were obedient to Him!