“because the one who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.” - Galatians 6:8
Football coach Vince Lombardi once said, “Winning means you're willing to go longer, work harder, and give more than anyone else.” That's so true. To be a winner you must make a commitment to sticking with a task and following through with it. We all want to be winners, but many things, including the many temptations to make bad choices, stand in our way. Those choices often keep potential winners on the sidelines.
Life is full of trade-offs. The bad choices you make today are the down payments on your problems tomorrow. It's all a part of living under God's law of sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:8).
What are some examples of bad trade-offs? In sports it could be not giving your best effort in practice, fooling around instead of working to improve. In the classroom it could be not doing the homework and then cheating on a test. In life it could mean rejecting God's mercy so that you can enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.
What temptation are you facing today? Remember, temptation itself is not a bad thing, but our giving in to it is. Don't cave in! Take those temptations to Jesus and obey His commands. Never exchange fellowship with Him for anything. Instead, guarantee yourself a good trade-off by choosing to walk in His ways. You won't regret it.
1. What bad trade-off do you face today?
2. Do you want a higher level of faith and a deeper level of devotion to the Lord?
3. What difficult choice do you need to make today in the face of temptation? What can help you make the right choice?
Proverbs 10:24
Matthew 4:1-11
Matthew 26:14
1 Corinthians 10:13
"Lord, as I spend time with You, take me to a higher level of faith and deeper level of devotion to You. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen."
About the Author:
Coach Pat Street is the FCA Huddle Coach at River Valley High School in Marion, Ohio. If you'd like to receive his weekly “God’s Coaching Tip" e-mail Coach Street at coachpatstreet@timeoutsports.org. (If you have e-mailed and have not received a “tip” please e-mail again as some servers view the Coaching Tip as spam.)