Obviously no one knows how God controls our world so we have to depend upon what we see taking place. Some think that God is in total control of everything, but that leaves us with haunting questions such as: If God is a loving God and in total control, how do we reconcile that with genocide like the Holocaust during World War II?
I find God’s control over life on earth more understandable using the analogy of a football team. I think of humans as the team and Jesus as the ultimate coach. The New Testament of the Bible is the playbook based on the teachings of Jesus. The team’s efforts will be most successful if they read the playbook and follow what it says perfectly. The obstacles of human life keep changing all the time like the defensive efforts of an opponent in football. Through prayer, Jesus sends in plays suggesting how we are to deal with those obstacles. Rarely do football teams get everything right so the coach has to forgive them for their failures and urge them to try to get it right next time. So it is with Jesus and his team.
I find God’s control over life on earth more understandable using the analogy of a football team. I think of humans as the team and Jesus as the ultimate coach. The New Testament of the Bible is the playbook based on the teachings of Jesus. The team’s efforts will be most successful if they read the playbook and follow what it says perfectly. The obstacles of human life keep changing all the time like the defensive efforts of an opponent in football. Through prayer, Jesus sends in plays suggesting how we are to deal with those obstacles. Rarely do football teams get everything right so the coach has to forgive them for their failures and urge them to try to get it right next time. So it is with Jesus and his team.
As team members, we are all different and have different assignments so success in the game of life depends upon how well we work together as a coordinated unit and take care of each other. I see human life on earth improving dramatically in the past few decades and that tells me that Christ’s Team is a winning team. I’m glad I’m a member.
Robert C. Frank
Author of Christ’s Team
