“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
I enjoyed this year’s Super Bowl and won’t soon forget that special moment when St. Louis Rams Quarterback Kurt Warner rushed to the stands to give his wife a victory kiss. Why not? They just won a free trip to Disney World, not to mention $500,000 for being named Most Valuable Player. There couldn’t have been a more perfect ending to his Cinderella season.
But I took even greater joy in the post-game interview when Warner told the world, “First things first, I want to give the praise and glory to my Lord and Savior up above.” You can’t help but to admire someone who’s not afraid to admit that maybe God’s hand had more to do with his success than the remarkable talent he possesses.
The question that remains to be answered is will Warner remain true to his faith. Will he buck the trend and actually stay real? I sure hope so because professional sports needs a role model like Kurt Warner.
It’s hard to believe that just five years ago Warner was working for $5.50 an hour in a Hy-Vee grocery store back in northern Iowa. But he quickly reminds all of us who find ourselves up against improbable odds that we have a God who cares even when it’s not so obvious. “I don’t look at the fact that I came from here, I came from there,” Warner recently told Jack Wilkinson of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “That’s the path the Lord has made for me. And I wouldn’t change a minute of it.”
It should be obvious by now that Warner doesn’t see football as an end in and of itself. It just happens to be the stage that God has given him to proclaim the hope that we all have in Christ. “I know my role in this is to help share my faith, and to share my relationship with the Lord in this capacity,” he said. “The funny thing is my wife, when I tell her about some interviews that I’ve done, she’s always telling me, ‘Don’t talk about the Lord in every answer you give.’ I come back and tell her, ‘Hey, they try to cut out as much of those comments as they can. So if I don’t give it in every answer, then it’s never going to be there, because they’re not going to use those quotes.’ “
Warner’s trying to tell us something here. Are you paying attention? We are called to talk about the change that Jesus has made in our lives. That’s what Jesus meant when he once told a group of believers, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14)
Listen. You don’t have to be a big-league quarterback to make a difference for Jesus. But you do have to be willing to give credit where credit is due. Jesus said it this way: “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
Are you praising the Lord Jesus for the miracles he bringing in your life?
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