Pretend or Real?

I like the story about the basketball coach, Cotton Fitzsimmons. He coached both in college and in the NBA. His team was having a terrible season, so he gathered the team together and said, “Gentlemen, when you take the field tonight, instead of thinking we're in last place, pretend we're in first place.” Instead of being on a losing streak, pretend we are on a winning streak. Instead of this being a regular game, pretend this is a playoff game.

The team went out all hyped up but was pounded by the Boston Celtics. After the game, the coach was very upset, and he asked the team, 'What happened out there tonight?' One of the star players said, “Hey coach, cheer up and just pretend we won.”

Isn't it true that we often pretend that everything in our lives is okay? We rationalize and excuse our actions. We pretend our relationship with Christ is okay. We plan to start serving Him...someday. But the truth is, one day, we'll stand before the Lord, and we’ll discover what was pretend and what was truly pleasing to Him. The Bible refers to this future event as the Judgment Seat of Christ. One day, believers will give an account of their lives. God will separate the quality things from the wasted time, money, energy, and motives that meant nothing. Rewards are God's idea. He wants you to focus your life on things of eternal value.

Jesus repeatedly promised rewards to the faithful as motivation. We don’t serve God to get rewards – but we are commended to look beyond the immediate struggles of today to eternity as a motivating factor. He wants us to long for those words, “Well done.”

Press On!

Pastor Brian Richard