I love Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. I love being AT the stadium, sitting inn the stands, or marching on the field, or running the length of the field through snowdrifts and blistering cold weather. (Back in the late 70s, the stadium was always open.)
Not the Victory but the Action
Not the Goal But the Game
In the Deed the Glory
What Does This Mean?
This quote (and I don’t know where it originated but I’ve always loved it) describes the heart of the traditional Cornhusker fan. Of course we want to win the game (I mean, what would be the point if you weren’t trying to win?) but, more important, how are you playing the game? Where is your heart. Are you playing as hard as you can? Are you giving it your all? Are you playing by, and according to, the rules?
In other words: It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.
So, how does this tie in with our goals in other organizations? That’s an awkward way of asking, “How does this tie in with our daily lives?”
Why should it tie in? Well, it’s like we’re saying that the outcome (or end result of our lives lived) is not as important as how we perform, act, or behave. And in our western civilization, in the year 2025, that kind of, or mostly, makes sense. In a big way, that’s a reflection of our prideful “can do” attitude that our country proudly touts. There are good and bad things that are cultivated through this attitude.
As we as a civilization become a collection of individuals, I think there is a drift toward self-sufficiency, wanting to not have to depend on someone else for our own achievements and rest and security. We want to be able to say we did it ourselves.
I suppose that PRIDE comes into play here somewhere. But so does a denial that we need a Saviour to “save us” or to deliver us into eternal life.
Eternal Life? I can provide this for myself?
Of course not.
John 14:6 tells us the way home. It ain’t through anything we can dream up ourselves.
We need a Saviour. We need God’s free gift of salvation. There’s NOTHING you can do to earn it. It’s not something you deserve. It’s only realizing that this salvation is from God; He does it because he loves you ferociously, and he wants to be part of your life.
You don’t have to wait to be a member of God’s family.
You can do it right now. Just ask him.
And then listen.