By Dr. Thamsing Lamkang
For any sportspersons next play is the most important and difficult games. The more you win the tougher opponent you’ll face and that makes sports very interesting. The only place where problem didn’t exist is only in cemetery. As long as you breathe problem is very much parts of life. Life itself is the problem. God made you and watch over you the way how you deal with your problems. How you overcome problems in your life that makes you, the real you! Every individual has problems, the rich has a problem according to their status, and so is the poor man. The problems you’re going through maybe a minor problem for others, while you may laugh at others problem compared to your situation. No matter how big the problem, there is every solution for every problem.
Problems bring complaints! On any conversation in the street, home or market, most of what you’ll hear is complaints-complaint about the family, the circumstances, the government works, studies, grumblings about what so-and-so did or didn’t do… a stream of grumblings and complaints! Complaint became a subjective part of our society today. Even a small school going children has a complaint on returning from school. If you need a ‘friend’, just open your mouth to complaint about something; you’ll soon be in familiar company! Seems everyone enjoys a good gripe. But always remember this, grumble and complaint produces downers, and leads to defeat. The more you grumble and gripe, the sadder you’ll be!
The Bible (God) says that grumbling produces discouragement. If there’s a complainer on your team (maybe in sports, music or choir etc.) remember he’ll spoil everyone’s performance, and it’s just the same in our daily life. There are times when we need to get away from certain folks because we know they’ve got a gripe. How these people can sniff out what’s wrong about everyone and everything! Many are experts in observing; so not everything in the world is quite hunky dory; but grumbling is going to get us nowhere fast. Well, try this out for yourself; grumble about what someone does and you’ll find you’ll always be in a bad mood about them. Thank the person instead, for what they do well, and you’ve got someone who’ll come to appreciate you too!
Our world can never be improved by bitter, griping people. They’ll just make it a sadder place. Grumbling and groaning don’t tire us out; they just discolor everything and we even lose sight of God’s blessings. We feel like giving up and going home-failures. As believers we have to overcome this tendency to feel sorry for ourselves. Come on! Sharpen up! Get back on track and get on with the game of life. We’re supposed to give thanks to God for everything, and not to forget to have grateful spirit in order to focus and see the future, what next!
In life, all the big achievements are made step by step. Nobody arrives at the summit by magic, but by overcoming all obstacles and problems after having learnt how to persevere. Everyone has a plan in life, goals that we should reach, and they are only reached by advancing slowly without giving-up. This is exactly the same in our spiritual life; the most difficult game is the next play.
We are not accustomed to thinking in real terms. It seems that we walk with our heads in the clouds that we only pay attention to momentous events when, in fact, growth in the Christian life depends on our knowing the will of God and obeying it, day by day. Look for that which God expects from us, in all things and do it, without fuss and noise, but peacefully. Many people fixed their eyes on their problems, and made problems as the god of their life. But as Christians ‘we must fix our eyes on Jesus, our goal and our destination’.
We must concentrate on what we can do; remember that just as in sports there are good and bad pitches and we must win on them all. We must always keep in mind; maybe the next effort is the most important. Maybe the next temptation is the most difficult. Maybe soon we will have difficulties in our studies or work; maybe emotional problems or stress. But we can know that we are going to conquer them. We are used to winning on any field. We are used to knowing that the most difficult game is the next!
We don’t worry so much knowing what is far ahead in the future. It is not our problem to know what will happen in two years, or three years, or four. Leave that matters to God. We simply concentrate on our next step. And that is not a fatalist approach. God knows our future, and it is a glorious future. The Bible tells us of the beautiful inheritance that He has given us. Nobody is happier than we are, because nobody can feel true security about their future life, if they are far from God. What God has prepared for each one of us is something unique. He tells us, simply to play the next game with our best… and nothing more.
Every trip of thousands of miles begins in a very simple way: with the first step!
Author is a Pastor LFD & Sports Resource Center.
