Ready:
“And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” —Matthew 28:20
Set:
There are times after practices and games where it seems like players are alone. Perhaps it is during pre-game. Or after a game, they come out of the locker room by themselves. We all need moments to ourselves. What we don’t want is for anyone on the team to feel alone – like they don’t have anyone they can talk to.
Jesus knew the feeling of being alone. He was not always accepted or welcomed. He was kicked out of His hometown (Luke 4:16-30). There were a few times when his close friends abandoned Him (John 6:60-66). Sometimes Jesus got alone to have personal time with his Heavenly Father. Just the two of them. Jesus always re-engaged with his close friends soon after. At the last night before he was arrested and then was crucified, His friends abandoned Him (Matthew 26:56). Jesus felt the full weight of being alone. He knows the difficulties of it, so He gives us a reminder – He is with us always.
When we feel alone, we have Jesus with us. We can ask Him to help us know this and experience His presence with us. One other key reminder of how close He is comes from Romans 8:11 which tells us that the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you. He is right inside of us! Reach out to Him at any time. Seek Him at any time. He is right there with you.
Go:
Have you felt like you were not part of the team and felt alone?
What can you do to connect with other teammates?
How do you keep Jesus at the center of your life so that you never feel alone?
Workout:
Overtime:
“Dear Lord, sometimes I feel alone and not included. Help me see the truth that You are with me and that I am never alone. Give me courage to know this and to act on it. Help me to be aware of others who may feel aloneness too. Help me reach out to them and include them. This is Your way and I want to live it too. In Your name I pray, amen.”