Staying in prayer is key to staying in leadership. How to pray? Pray with faith. Prayers in the Bible.
My son, Robert, tracks the long punt, hunting to convert a goal.
To watch those kids jog during the soccer game made me disgusted! How do they expect to win if they won’t run? If they only play half-hearted?
Then, I saw myself on the field. I was jogging.
Rob faces a dilemma. How do you turn a losing team into a winning team?
A fairly steady stream of withering criticism took the wind out of my sails. When I returned to my sponsoring church after 16 years as a missionary in Guatemala, I threw myself into ministry. Then I started cutting back — why give my ALL when ALL I got was negative feedback? God spoke to me through a State Cup Cal South tournament. Instead of running, I was jogging. How did I expect to win?
I cut the oranges for the kids’ halftime.
Handling criticism is no piece of cake. Making transition from head pastor to just one of the guys has not been easy either.
I wanted those kids to run with everything they had. Who cares if they were losing? Who cares if they made mistakes? Who cares if the coach screamed at them? Run — for the love of the game — run! Don’t give up.
It’s pretty easy to see others’ faults. But when I saw my own faults reflected in those kids, it was horrifying. I’ve got to run — for Jesus (not for detractors). Thank You, Jesus, for helping restore me to the intense servant I always was. Forgive me for becoming a mechanical, half-hearted servant. Thank You for showing me to renew my passion for service.
