Showing Our Character

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- 2 Peter 1:5-8 -

Tonight is our last regular season match. Tonight is our Night Out video night. Tonight wraps up a lot of things that we've been working hard at. Yet, many things that we've experienced, thought about, practiced on, and learned will endure beyond tonight.

Which brings me to a devotional thought for the last day together as a full practicing team: God. Why not begin and end with "The Beginning and The End."

We've been seeking Christian maturity this year, as pulled from 2 Peter. We've been hoping to show goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. But at the end of the year, I'd like us to recognize the ways in which God has shown these things to us.

God has been good to us, as we know that God's character is to always work for the good of those who love him. I think of the bad situations that God has turned around for the good: Nate losing two at the Wabash Invite, but then having the opportunity to seal the tournament for us with a comeback in his last match. Matt and Kyle struggling against Fairfield but then posting an awesome victory over Bremen the next night. Or Evan, knowing that he is going to have to play under Sectional pressure if we make the Sectional final, getting to play in two very pressure filled matches (at Columbia City and against Eastern). Or even the positive force that Andrew Snyder has been on the team, after his accident kept him out of soccer. These things have all been worked out for our good.

And what has God taught us this year, how has our knowledge increased? Well, I guess that depends on how well we've been listening. But have we had opportunities to learn lessons of self-control, when we've felt like quitting on practice or on a long run? Have we had lessons of perseverance when the rain pushed practice inside for 2 days in a row or when we found ourselves down in an important match or when we played Westview in a "tornado"? We've been given opportunities to learn about ourselves and others all throughout the season. Personally, I've learned that God can use just about anything to show me that He is there. Even team uniforms coming in at the last minute. Even devastating losses.

And self-control? Well, I think God has been very generous with us, staying with us. If we are honest, there have been times when we have completely ignored our call to love one another. Times that again and again we fall into our selfish and destructive habits, whether they be refusing to reach out to hurting teammates or continuing to be overly harsh on ourselves. Time and time again we've had chances to show this Christ-like maturity and failed. There must be some level of frustration on God's part... but God has not left us. God has been patient and controlled, knowing that some of us are striving, some of us care. God will be patient through our mistakes. Perhaps in seeing God do this, we will learn to be more controlled and patient as well.

Yes, God is the beginning of all of this for us. We will look and we will see how God is our example, how God is calling. We will continue to strive to love.

(To be continued tomorrow)