Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

I was a high school football coach for two years right out of college.  I wasn’t a great player because I was a slow, white cornerback but I was a decent coach.  In fact as the JV coach my teams went 11-3 and we won the area championship my last season.  I was pretty organized and had a game plan that our team worked on all week long.  

But when the game started very rarely did the game go exactly the way we planned. In fact, often it would fall apart and we would have to make adjustments to our plan.   Good coaches have great game plans.  Great coaches make adjustments.  Mike Shula was a nice guy and a fine representative for the University of Alabama football team.  I would say that his teams always showed up prepared for the games. However, Mike was not good at making half-time adjustments and I believe that is what led to his firing. Great coaches in any sport learn it doesn’t matter how things go at the beginning it is what you do when you hit opposition and difficulty.   Great coaches and race teams work the entire game/race to win and the great ones do win.

I’ve had a plan in place for ministry and life. I’ve written out mission statements, goals and checklists. As I approach my birthday (none of your biz how old) I realize it is time to make a half-time adjustment. My plans haven’t worked the way I planned. I’m not sorry I tried any of them, but many haven’t worked out like I had envisioned. I’m not foolish enough to keep running them in the ground and kill me and my family in the process.  I am adjusting– not to my plans but to God’s plan.  What is that?  I don’t know yet.  But obviously mine needs adjusting. 

So this week I will finish my book proposal and send it off to a literary agent that has expressed interest. We will see what God does.  Next, I’m asking God to let me work in my area of passion, Judges 2:10 and recovering from legalism or give me another passion.  I pray this gives me outside speaking opportunities because I’m ready.  I really believe that there is a need for recovering, arrogant, obnoxious, know it all Christians to find healing and grace in Christ.  Am I there yet? No, but I know this is a message that needs to be heard.  This is where my focus will be until God shows me something else.