Aim for our
goalsAim for our
goals
By SNG CHONG HUI
BELIEVE
it or not, there is a global pandemic fever. It is called the
"World Cup Fever".
Today if you do not know anything
about the World Cup, like who is in the semi-finals, people might
think you are from another planet.
I realise that the World Cup is a great conversation starter.
You can talk practically to any stranger you meet by just mentioning
the World Cup. Just the other day I sat in a table of total strangers
at a wedding dinner. Other than introducing ourselves by name,
there was hardly anything to talk about. But the moment I mentioned
the World Cup, their faces lit up; it was like you pushed an "on"
button and before long they dazzled you with their personal remarks
and analytical comments. If you have problems talking with your
teenaged children, try talking about the World Cup.
To tell you the truth, I am not a soccer junkie, but I watched
the World Cup for sermon illustrations. After all, our Lord Jesus
often preceded His teaching by saying, "Consider the birds
of the air; look at the lilies of the fields and behold a sower
when out to sow … " He pointed his listeners to what
they could see around them and drew lessons from it.
If Jesus were to be on earth doing His ministry today, He just
might say, "Observe the World Cup - people from every nation
flock to the World Cup; they gather to watch as if it is the greatest
event in the world. But the day will come when nations from around
the world, people of every race and tongue, will gather around
the My Saving Cup and drink from it the salvation of grace."
Soccer is actually a very religious game. One former striker who
scored a controversial goal said it was the hand of God. Substitute
players enter the field by first making the sign of the cross.
The spectators clasp their hands in hopeful prayer. And the pain
of a missed goal is expressed in groaning too deep for words.
When someone scores a goal, the joy is shared by every teammate,
every player on the bench, and every supporter on the sidelines,
the coach and the fans. They really rejoice with those who rejoice.
And they really weep with those who weep. They cried for Argentina;
they cried for England and they cried for Brazil. Come to think
of it, those who cried might well be punters. They just lost their
bets.
Seriously, are there lessons we can learn from this World Cup?
There are; let me name a few.
1. It does not mean that when you
scored the first goal, you were going to win. The matches taught
me that it is not just about starting well but finishing well.
Japan started well. Argentina started well. The coaches thought
they were winning; they pulled out the good players, substituted
those who needed more exposure. And the rest was history. They
lost the game.
2. When you are older than the
rest, it does not mean you have lost your zing. Think about Zidane.
He is older than any of the players in this World Cup, yet he
has not lost his zing. He was able to bring the inspiration and
the magical touch to the team. This reminds me of the verse in
Psalm 92:14: "They shall still bear fruit in old age; they
shall be fresh and flourishing."
3. I told my young people - if
they can remember the names of every team, who scores what and
at which minute, they will have no problem memorising the Scriptures.
4. The World Cup is about scoring
goals. Our ministry is about scoring Kingdom goals. Having renowned
star players does not guarantee you will score goals. A renowned
star player may be great in days of yore from Brazilian shore.
But today he may be bouncing his belly more than a ball. The fab
has developed a flab (You know who I am talking about).
Still, a good team is important. You need players who are fit,
skilful and versatile. I have seen players able to kick with both
legs. That reminds me of the mighty men of David who can fight
with right and left hands. They were versatile - able to use both
their natural and not so natural inclination.
5. I notice that teams that have
great ball possession do not necessary score goals. In fact some
lost the match to the other team that had less ball possession.
We can have everything under control, tight-fisted in our management
and administration, conduct every programme with precision and
have full possession of concise order, yet we may not score any
Kingdom goals.
6. I also recognise that the outcome
of a match could depend on the referee. Watching the matches in
this World Cup does confirm the suspicion that often times referees
are "kayu" except for Shamsul Maidin, of course (I have
to be patriotic). Yellow cards were given indiscriminately for
every unintentional foul. Red cards made some see red. Penalties
were awarded undeservingly. The people of Ghana say they lost
the game to Brazil not because their team was weak but the referee
was a freak.
I am so glad that God who referees the game of life, who judges
our work and our performance, is fair, just and true. The hymn
writer says, "There is no shadow of turning with Thee."
There is no variation with God in His decision, His rule and His
ways.
The comforting thought is that every injustice done to us can
be held up to God. There is no need for pushing and scuffling
with words and actions and getting people on the sidelines to
come to your support. "Vengeance is mine, says the Lord."
He rules. He reigns. He judges. He is the one who holds the yellow
cards and red cards.
7. Of course there are many more
lessons you can draw from this World Cup. Like playing according
to the rules. Behaving according to the rules both on the field
and off the field, during the match and after. The apostle Paul
says in II Tim 2:5 that an athlete is not crowned unless he competes
according to the rules.
The Rev Sng Chong Hui is Pastor-in-Charge
of Fairfield Methodist Church.
QUOTE:
'The World Cup is about scoring
goals. Our ministry is about
scoring Kingdom goals.'