This post is for saved folk who watched the Georgia/Alabama National Championship (Jan 8th 2018):
Football and Christianity have a lot in common. In football, a young player can be put into a situation that he thinks he’s ready for. It’s like a freshman quarterback starting in a National Championship Game and starring in the first half of the game. While confidence builds in the young talented freshman there is a seasoned and crafty old coach that knows that there are “two halves” to a football game. The young player is experiencing the aura, the atmosphere for the first time. The problem is because he has never been there before and the moment can become too big for him, especially, “if you’re not ready” and you think you are. Delusions of grandeur and the potential of stardom can start dancing around in one’s head. Focus and momentum are lost when you start allowing your mind to wander about celebrations, heroism, and all of the forthcoming accolades, it can become a distraction and open the door for the opponent to win the second half. You start holding on to your lead in anticipation of the awards rather than keeping the opponent on their heels and driving the stake in hearts. (Ask Matty Ice and the other Georgia team.)
Christianity is very similar. Young Christians often are put in situations and their zeal for God and a few victories make them think that they are ready to turn the world upside down. A few “fans” and “mentors/life coaches” begin to sing their praises and they think that they can handle anything. They’re saved, on fire and getting victory after victory with just one or two defeats along the way. They’re winning at everything in life but then they realize not only that there is more time on the clock but the devil is scheming to try and find something in them that he can capitalize on to bring you down. Some weakness, some thorn in the flesh. So, now the enemy starts throwing everything at them. (Blitzes, stunts, and just flat out pins his ears back and comes hard.) What they have accomplished up to this point starts to slip away. Momentum shifts and the enemy starts getting a foothold. The battleground is in the mind. If the enemy can just get the Christian distracted with the potential of the awards rather than fighting the good fight of faith till the end, maybe the enemy wins.
I watched the game last night between the Dawgs and the Tide. I saw that the game got a little too big for the Dawgs young quarterback in the end. I saw a wily, (and evil coach), 
) at halftime make a necessary change to bring down this young juggernaut of a player and team. He brought in a weapon that the Dawgs had never really seen or faced before. They knew he existed but didn’t prepare to face him. He was used to defeat the Dawgs in one of the best games I’ve seen in a while.
But, I think we need to always remember. We may lose a battle but we will not lose the war. I think God was teaching those young Christians on Georgia and the Alabama team a lesson. When Tua Tagovailoa took the mic, he shifted the atmosphere. He brought everything into perspective saints when he said, “I’d like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who without Him this victory would not have been possible.” The declaration of the fact that there are no victories in life possible without the help of the Lord Jesus is a must lesson for all Christians, young or old.
Don’t ever get caught up in the moment, keep your eyes on the prize, fight all the way to the end and don’t play for an earthly award, play to obtain a reward when you get to heaven. He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.
The young Dawgs will be back and this time the moment will be familiar and the “devils” I mean coaches half-time scheme won’t work.
Just thinking out loud.
PS. My point was (To Georgia
fans in particular), that God will use the schemes of the enemy to get him some glory.
—Vaughn McLaughlin