Akron Springfield Assembly of God

Finding success on a football field is not as easy as some teams make it look (Packers, Patriots to name a few). Eleven people unite on a play with a common purpose and a solitary goal. Each individual must perform their specific task for the entire team to be successful. Even a simple three-yard run is dependent on each teammate completing their designated assignment. A poor individual performance on one play can result in the team losing 20 yards on a sack or giving up a score.

The players don’t just show up on a Sunday afternoon and expect to be successful. They spend time in their playbooks, learning what their assignments are for each play they might be a part of. As individuals, a player may mentally run through the plays in his head, before practicing on the field with his teammates. Then as a unit, the team will prepare for success on gameday.

Come game-day, some teams make it look easy but only because they committed themselves to hours of preparation, practice and hardwork.

The American culture, with its Christian roots and foundations, has created an environment that is relatively cushy for Christians. The last 30-years of mostly successful economic times have led to a generation that doesn’t rely on God for daily provisions. Many American Christians rely on a message preached for 45 minutes on a Saturday night or Sunday morning to maintain their faith foundation, if they attend church at all. While in times of success or prosperity a lackluster commitment to faith may seem acceptable, it has led to a nation coming apart at the seams. People are currently blaming the government, Wall Street, or “the Man” for situations that can often be rooted in poor personal decisions. I contend that the real result of our nation’s turmoil comes from a spiritual deterioration.

The nation will begin to turn itself around when each individual takes responsibility to commit time in the Word of God. Individuals need to learn what God’s plan is for their life and equip themselves to lead a Godly life and raise a Godly family. Then the individuals need to come together with people of like faith to strengthen their collective walk, and to find the best ways to succeed as a team. Every individual can make a difference. A collective group of individuals committed to a common cause, focused on their responsibilities can change the world. There is a reason Christians are referred to as the “Body of Christ”; one body is merely a collection of millions of cells committed to a common cause.