Ready:
“For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.” —Ephesians 1:4
Set:
What embarrassing moment haunts you? For Roy Riegels, it was the 1929 Rose Bowl. The Cal center scooped up a fumble, spun the wrong way, and sprinted 65 yards toward the wrong end zone. His own teammate had to tackle him before he scored for the other team. At halftime, Riegels buried his face, “I’ve ruined myself. I’ve ruined the team.” Can one mistake define us forever? Don’t believe that lie.
God sees you differently. “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love” (Eph. 1:4). Before your first practice, first stat or first mistake—God had already chosen you! As Jesus’ follower, God sees you as compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient (Col 3:12). What’s the truth? On your worst day, you are still holy and dearly loved. Not because of your performance but because of Christ’s perfection.
So what happened to Roy? At halftime, Coach Nibs Price told him, “Roy, get up and go back out there. The game is only half over.” That one line sent him back onto the field. In the same way, God never benches you permanently. Even when you run the wrong way, He says, “Get up—the game isn’t over. You’re still mine.”
In any sport, one missed ________ might seem devastating. In life, a poor grade, harsh comment or failure might feel like the last straw. But your worth isn’t tied to stats, scores or social media posts. In Christ, you play from acceptance, not for acceptance.
Go:
When have you felt like one mistake defined you?
How do you “play from acceptance, not for acceptance”?
Who around you needs to hear the reminder: “Get up—the game isn’t over. You’re still God’s”?
Workout:
Overtime:
"My God and my Coach, sometimes I feel overwhelmed by what people say and how they treat me. Teach me to see myself like you see me. Because I play “from acceptance”, let me confidently show compassion, gentleness and patience because you know me best. Amen. "