Pick Your Team Wisely

In 1988, I became a true fan of professional football. I was 11 years old in 1988 (that’s really not that long ago is it?) My father loves football and has been a lifelong fan of the Dallas Cowboys. So here it is, I’m finally interested in football and it’s my turn to pick a team. I remember him telling me to not only pick a team, but to always stick with them, through good times and bad times. I was encouraged to not just be a bandwagon fan. As I began to watch the NFL week after week, there was a team that caught my eye. I believe it was because their uniforms were definitely appealing to an 11 year old boy. Each week I began to search for that team and you know what? They ended up winning the AFC and playing in the Super Bowl in 1989! That year my Cincinnati Bengals unfortunately lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the championship. I saw them win their last playoff game in 1991 against to Houston Oilers followed by their defeat to the Los Angeles Raiders the next week (the game that ended Bo Jackson’s football career, by the way). After that season, they became the worst franchise in all professional sports and compiled a record of 43 wins and 101 losses from 1991-1999.

In case you are wondering, yes, I’m still a fan of the Bengals! Why? Because I picked a team, committed to them and stuck with them! And you know what? God is calling us to do the same thing!

“For indeed, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and everyone who commits wickedness will become stubble. The coming day will consume them,” says the Lord of Hosts, “not leaving them root or branches. ² But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall. ³ You will trample the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day I am preparing,” says the Lord of Hosts.” – Malachi 4:1-3

Through the last few posts we have looked at the book of Malachi and now we come to the end of the book. God has leveled some harsh, but true accusations against His people. He has told them that their worship was useless (Malachi 1), that the commitments that they made were nothing more than worthless words (Malachi 2:1-3:6) and that God was not the first priority of their life and that was evidenced by them robbing God (Malachi 3:7-12). God now speaks through Malachi here at the end of the book to call His people to choose a side (Malachi 3:13-4:6).

In life, whether you accept it as truth or not, there are only two sides with two very different outcomes. One side in life that you can choose to serve is yourself. In doing so you are concerned with only the things that make you happy. Those that live for themselves do not understand God or His ways. They have the same attitude as described in Malachi 3:14, “You have said: “It is useless to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His requirements and walking mournfully before the Lord of Hosts?” The outcome for those that live for themselves is eternal life in Hell. The wicked will be consumed on the Day of the Lord.

On the other side, you can choose to serve God. The only way that you can do this is through a relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. John 14:6 tells us that there is one and only one way that we can have a right relationship through God, “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” The outcome for those that live for God is eternal life in Heaven with Him. ^“At that time those who feared the Lord spoke to one another. The Lord took notice and listened. So a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared Yahweh and had high regard for His name. “They will be Mine,” says the Lord of Hosts, “a special possession on the day I am preparing. I will have compassion on them as a man has compassion on his son who serves him” – Malachi 3:16-17.

The Israelites in Malachi’s day had a choice to make and today we are still faced with that same choice! Will you decide to live for yourselves or live for God? You may not think that choice matters now, but it does. Will you commit your life to Jesus today and be saved?  Your life depends on it!

 “So you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.” – Malachi 3:18