I'm 'RUNNING BACK' to Jesus....
Whatcha mean 'Lik?
When I log onto my home computer and click on the internet, YAHOO is my 'home page'. I scan through the latest 'Trending Now' and 'Today's Headline News'. Most of the time I click on this stuff and read about the latest news on Tiger Woods or The Gulf Oil Spill or Whose Hating President Obama now. One article I saw up there was "49ers Running Back Retires". I vividly remember seeing it but never clicked on it. I did not think nothing of it. I don't follow football like I used to so the name Glen Coffee did not strike a bell so I did not read it. Well, today in my daily devotionals, that name came up again...Glen Coffee. Who is this dude? I am thinking, how does football and the Daily Word relate? So I 'googled him'. Here is the article I found....
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/08/full_story_glen_coffee_explain.html
If you didn't know, Glen Coffee retired from football because he's "letting God do His work in him". People are not going to understand how a guy who has a professional football career, big money, and the prospect of being the #2 running back on his NFL team, leave it all for....GOD. Hmmmm....meditate on that for a minute. I will repeat....people are not going to understand how a guy is going to give up a professional football career (something you been doing and excelling in your whole life and now you are in the ‘big show’), big money ($828K signing bonus, multi year-contract, ability to make more later), and the prospect of being #2 running back on the team (started games when Frank Gore was hurt) all to follow....GOD.
This reminds me of the story of Matthew and Jesus calling him to be a disciple. In Matthew 9:9, Jesus walks and sees a tax collector by the name of Matthew and tells him to "follow Me", and Matthew gets up and follows Him. You have to know that in those days tax collectors were very prominent. They had resources and 'got a little on the side' from the serfs and natives. They did not have to worry about money and it was a highly recognizable profession. However, they were hated by the poor and the rich. People looked down on tax collectors too because they charged the poor and took from the less fortunate and took resources from the rich.
This reminds me of the story of Matthew and Jesus calling him to be a disciple. In Matthew 9:9, Jesus walks and sees a tax collector by the name of Matthew and tells him to "follow Me", and Matthew gets up and follows Him. You have to know that in those days tax collectors were very prominent. They had resources and 'got a little on the side' from the serfs and natives. They did not have to worry about money and it was a highly recognizable profession. However, they were hated by the poor and the rich. People looked down on tax collectors too because they charged the poor and took from the less fortunate and took resources from the rich.
However here comes a man in the flesh (who is known as Christ the King), and He tells another man by the name of Matthew to give up your profession, give up your riches, give up what you are trained to do, and "follow me" because I have a 'purpose' for your life. We read these stories/parables in the Bible and shout and say "Hallelujah and Amen", but when it hits our doorstep, we can’t understand. Why? Do you not see the symbolism in Glen Coffee’s life? Here is what got me – Glen Coffee said:
“A lot of people aren't going to understand and realize because they don't have the wisdom to understand," Coffee said. "Their eyes aren't open like mine are open. True happiness is glorifying God and glorifying Christ. That's what true happiness is. ... And for me, that wasn't the NFL. That wasn't where I needed to be."
If God appears to you in the flesh and/or in the spirit and you know it is HIM, how many of you are willing to walk away from your profession? Well that is what FAITH is! Glen Coffee is beginning his Faith Walk. We all know it and have heard it - “ FAITH is the reality of things hoped for by the proof of things unseen” (Hebrews 11:1). I don’t know Glen Coffee, but what I recognize is that he has the FAITH and BELIEF that God has something greater than 'silver and gold' awaiting him. All of us have to think of life in that way. No More Excuses. God is calling you (and I) to do something great, and now is the time for you (and I) to do it. I'm not sure it is at the level of Glen Coffee by leaving your profession, but I know for certain, HE is calling you to be BOLD and make a change by FAITH. Trust HIM! I am seeing this more and more. Being transparent, my Faith has been weaken by the trials and tribulations of my life, but I know without a shadow of doubt, in my spirit, GOD is preparing me for a monumental change that I cannot see or grasp. I wake up in the middle of the night feeling it, but I just have to trust and believe.
We can not keep running from it, but start running to it.
We can not keep running from it, but start running to it.
We have to step out on FAITH. Glen Coffee did......He’s ‘RUNNING BACK’ to JESUS!
