THE PARTICIPANT'S TROPHY

   A few years ago in a two-day golf tournament, my partner was a much better golfer than me, and at the first tee on the very first day of the tournament, something strange happened to me.
   Call it fear, call in intimidation, or call it whatever I could have called it, my mind was suddenly transformed:  I became a participant, instead of a competitor, and I began to watch my partner and depend on him to make the shots that I could not make, as if I had been wrapped in a straitjacket.

   Thus, for two days and with eighteen holes on both days, I never made one shot  that helped my partner because I was totally depending on him for our team to win first place, which we did not do, and neither did we score well enough to even place 2nd, 3rd, or 4th because my partner had a partner that left him standing alone in the battle on the fairways and on the greens.
   I learned a valuable lesson from golf that day, which is this:
   How many of us as Christians are no more than participants  in our work for the Lord?
   How many of us watch as others sing while all we do is sing along?
   How many of us watch as others teach and preach, while all we do is sit on our hands---and, like a rock, we shall not be moved.
   Or maybe with our voices we will squeak a little "Amen".
   How many of us will never write a song, write a book, and even write a blog about the Lord because all we do is sit on our hands---and, like rock, we shall not be moved.
   If the Christian nation has become a team of participants, instead of competitors, we are losing ground.
   If all we do is watch as others do, we are losing ground.
   If our partners cannot rely on us to help the team in the battle, we are losing ground.
   If all we do is watch our partners make the shots because we are wrapped in straitjackets, what will our partners do knowing that they are standing alone?
   What, then, will we say to our Lord when He appears?
   At the Awards Banquet of the Lord, do you suppose there will be a Participant's Trophy for those members of the team, who sat on their hands and watched as others gained ground for the Lord?  Or as others were left at times to stand alone?

   "Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be weary and faint in your minds."  (Hebrews 12: 1-3)

   A long time ago, I heard a man say there is a time to pray, but there is also a time, he said, to put some prayers under our legs and stand.
   The Christian nation needs some help, for there are many Christians standing alone.  And if we refuse to stand, we will become no more than participants while leaving other Christians to stand alone.
   Please help us with your prayers, but also help us with your participation.