When it comes to being on the alert and ready at any moment to do the job, it’s hard to beat the Pony Express.
This historically famous mail service between St. Joseph, Missouri, and California depended on constant movement and readiness. Relay stations were established every ten to fifteen miles. A rider would shout aloud as he approached a station, giving the station master very short notice that he needed to be outside waiting with a fresh mount.
Even when a rider came to the station where he was to spend the night, another rider was already mounted and waiting, ready to grab the first rider’s bundle of packages and continue the trip.
The completion of the transcontinental telegraph system rendered the Pony Express obsolete after just eighteen months.
But we have this service’s intriguing example of what it means to be ever watchful, in knowing the importance of being in your position.
“Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-21 Thessalonians 5:1-2
English: World English Bible - WEB
5
1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you.
2 For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night.
Know where you are stationed or where you’re at in your Christian life—if you don’t know your position in Christ, chances are you don’t know Christ.
Be committed.
I have often wondered what would happen if football coaches approached their work like most youth ministers are expected to.
For example, I wonder what would happen if, when a player was too busy to show up for practice, the understanding coach simply said, “We’ll miss you. I hope you’ll be able to make it next week sometime.”
Imagine the players leaving practice and hearing the smiling coach say, “Thanks for coming. I hope you’ll come back tomorrow.”
If a football team operated like a typical youth ministry, we might expect concerned parents to call the coach, saying, “Can you tell me what’s been going on in practice?
My son says it’s boring, and he doesn’t want to come anymore. I was wondering, could you make it a little more fun for them? And by the way, you might want to talk to the coach at the school across town to see what he is doing with his teens–he seems to have the right idea.”
A coach, responding like a typical youth minister, might first feel guilty that the practices were not meeting the boy’s needs, and he would try to adjust his program to suit this boy (and every other boy who complained that it wasn’t fun).
Between trying to keep everybody happy and giving every student a good experience, the coach would squeeze in a little football practice.
And what kind of season would this coach have? It’s a safe bet that the coach wouldn’t be the only one who felt like a loser.
To expect that youth be committed to the church at the same level of commitment that would be expected on an athletic team would draw the charge of harsh rules and infringement of religious beliefs and that the expectation of commitment to the church has become unsatisfactory to most Christian parents.
Because the god of individualism pressures most youth ministers to gear their youth program to the lowest common denominator, NOT TO HOLD THEIR TEENS ACCOUNTABLE which seldom raises the expectations high enough for teenagers to experience real community and faith through that in Jesus Christ.
As your youth counselor/pastor, I am your spiritual coach to make you do the things you don’t want to do in order to become the things that you want to be—and honestly, some of you, at this moment, are “uncoachable”.
Don’t be offended at leaders who hold you to your commitment, and then get angry when you’re benched because you didn’t make the training camp or read the playbook.
“Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you” – Hebrews 13:17Hebrews 13:17
English: World English Bible - WEB
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch on behalf of your souls, as those who will give account, that they may do this with joy, and not with groaning, for that would be unprofitable for you. (NASB)
In the year 1519 – the Spanish explorer Cortez hit the shores of the “New World” in what is now Eastern Mexico.
With a total of 600 men and less than 20 horses, they began the work of settling a colony for Spain.
Shortly after their arrival, however, Cortez did something very interesting.
He issued an order to burn the ships.
Fearing his men might be tempted to turn back, he ordered that their only way back to the life they once knew be permanently destroyed.
And that’s exactly what happened.
Maybe you’re a young Christian who is still entangled in sin from your old life.
If so – maybe some drastic action is called for.
Maybe you need to burn the ships of relationships that drag you down, or activities which lead you into sinful behavior in order for you to be able to make a stand for Christ.
There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind.
She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her.
She told her boyfriend, “’If I could only see the world, I would marry you.”
One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.
He asked her, “Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?”
The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind.
The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn’t expected that.
The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.
Her boyfriend left her in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: “Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.”
This is how the human brain often works when our status changes.
Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.
Life Is a Gift–today before you say an unkind word…think of someone who can’t speak.
Before you complain about the taste of your food – think of someone who has nothing to eat.
Before you complain about your mom or dad – remember why you call them when you’re in trouble and love them and all of the good things they have done for you.
Today before you complain about life – think of someone who went too early to heaven.
Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn’t clean or sweep – think of the people who are living in the streets.
Before whining about the distance you drive – think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.
And when you are tired and complain about your job – think of how blessed you are to have the ability to work and bring home money.
For those of you who are in college, before you throw up your hands in frustration over the studying and weird professors – think of someone who can’t afford to go to college and will have to earn a living the hard way.
But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another – saying yeah, that’s you….remember that not one of us is without sin and we all answer to one MAKER.
And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down – put a smile on your face and thank GOD you’re alive and still around.
Learn to see the opportunities that God is doing before you decide NOT to run the play as it was given to you.
Running the play is essential…whether you agree with it, or if it doesn’t make sense to you, or even if it looks like it will be a failure.
God has placed each you in a position to be a team player for Him to reach out and run the play that he has put before you, through a parent, a teacher, a youth leader, a pastor, a friend, or even God Himself….
The question is this…will you run the play? Will you sit the bench? Will you complain about the coaching, the drills, the practice, or will you quit the team?
If you’re ready to read the playbook (the Bible), to follow coaching (authority), to make the practices (commitment), to be open to quick changes (The Spirit’s prompting), then God certainly wants you for a player.
Perhaps you need to find out how to make the team. Salvation
Perhaps you need to come back to practice. Rededication
Perhaps you need to sign a contract saying you’ll play no matter what. Baptism
Perhaps.
