The scoreboard didn’t give any signs that this game would result in a win.  The Wildcats were staring in the face of an inevitable loss.  If I had been on the court, I would certainly attempt to excerpt as little effort as possible so as not to wear myself out over this defeat.  But one player seemed to lack that sense of mediocrity.  He kept fighting.  He kept putting his heart into the game.  Though the outcome would certainly be bleak, it wouldn’t be due to his lack of effort. 

I enjoy watching players who, whether they have loads of talent or just a little, put their entire heart into the game.  They leave everything on the court, field or track.  Easy to spot; they’re the ones who push on when others are slowing down.  They are the ones who from the first blow of the whistle until the final buzzer sounds gave 100%. 

Paul desired that same heart from each of us.  In 1 Corinthians 9:24 he says, “Do you not know that in a race all runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.” 

It won’t always be easy.  There will be times of defeat, temptation will overwhelm us and it will seem that we might as well give up.  But don’t lose heart.  When you feel so far from the goal you don’t know if you will ever reach it – keep going forward.  When salty sweat burns your eyes to the point you can no longer see if anyone else is with you – press on.  When all hope seems lost and every part of your body and soul says to throw in the towel – fight even harder.  Never give up.  Never give in.  Never surrender.  “Press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called you heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 3:14)

As I write this we are in the middle of the flu and sickness season.  If you caught one of the bugs going around, you know it is no fun.  No one likes to be sick.  It is one of those ugly parts of life in a fallen world.  There are a lot of those.  Sickness, suffering, disappointments, conflict, frustrations, even death itself…are all only here because of sin.  It is important to make that connection because Jesus came to solve sin.  Everything bad in life now is present only because of sin.  We are in the weeks leading up to Easter which is a very appropriate time to consider just why Jesus, God’s Son, took on a human body and entered our human race.  Paul summed it up pretty well in his letter to Timothy… “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst!” (1 Tim. 1:15).  Jesus came to fix the sin problem that I have and you have.  He did it by enduring much worse suffering and punishment than we have ever encountered.  He not only bore the trauma of beatings and execution at the cross…He endured separation from God the Father as He took our sin on His own shoulders.  The punishment your sin deserves fell on Jesus.  Think about that!!  Only because of it can you and I be saved.  Are you?  If you have chosen to believe in Jesus for salvation here is an oddly comforting truth: the worst things you go through in this life now are the closest thing to Hell you will ever experience!  Heaven is guaranteed for those who have been saved by Jesus.  That makes the sickest days, the hardest problems, the ugliest events we face…the closest experience to Hell we will face.  The flipside of that statement, though, is heartbreakingly real as well: for individuals that do not know Jesus, the happiest times in this life are the closest thing to Heaven they will get to experience.  Sure, life here does have happy times…but nothing compared to the glory of heaven.  Heaven and Hell are real places.  The only way to get to Heaven and avoid Hell is to trust Jesus.  Maybe there is someone you need to reach with that message this Easter?!v