Like many men in America, I love football season! From August through February, I’m all about watching, yelling, and having my weekend consumed with football. I’m from Miami, Florida. Therefore, it’s natural and has been ingrained in me since I was six. Miami-Dade County has produced some of the greatest football players of all-time.
Also, we have had our share of collegiate and professional champion football teams. During my younger years, my perspective on football was purely fan-based. However, once I got older and became a high school football player, my view changed. I became more analytical about the game, its concepts, and the lessons woven into it.
Jesus is our Guide
As I continue my development as a man and leader, I’m continually seeking God’s guidance. I have learned to call on God and be specific in my requests to him. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye.” (Psalms 32:8 NKJV) This verse is my favorite Bible scripture. No other scripture speaks to me as this one does. Being a man has its challenges.
God has commanded men to lead their families while providing for and protecting them. Also, as men, we are instructed to be leaders in our communities. None of this is easy. It wasn’t designed to be easy. If it were, would men, with all of our pride and ego, yield to God and rely on His direction? With so much responsibility given to men, there is no way that we can make godly decisions and do the right thing without God’s guidance.
God uses football to speak to me about my life and the direction in which I’m to go. One of those messages was centered around the fullback position. The fullback position was once very prominent. More recently, teams rarely, if ever, carry a fullback on their active 53-man roster.
I miss the fullback position! Why? The fullback’s job is to guide the running back towards the line of scrimmage. As linebackers and safeties attempt to tackle the running-back, the fullback prevents them by blocking their path to the running-back, thus creating a clear path for the running back to run.
How to Follow Jesus
From a spiritual perspective, think of the fullback as Jesus and the linebackers and safeties as potentially sinful decisions along with other spiritual battles. If we run the play as it has been designed and follow God’s direction, His eye will guide us. The path that God wants to take us is what’s best for a man’s life. We’re supposed to follow Jesus!
If we don’t follow God but choose to run in our direction just as a running back is tackled for a loss of yards-we will not be able to outrun life’s opposition. As Christian men, we have been given a fullback in Jesus Christ. He died so that we may have direction and be a guide through our daily spiritual battles.
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. (Luke 9:23 NKJV) Men, we have the ultimate fullback in Christ. If we allow ourselves to stay behind Him and follow His direction through life’s trials and roadblocks, He will surely find us a crease so that we may score spiritual touchdowns.
As you prepare for each day and the challenges which accompany those days, ask yourself the following questions. Afterward, challenge yourself to stay behind Christ and allow Him to lead you through life.
Hi TJ,
I have to admit, that I’ve heard so many sports analogies applied to the Christian journey, that when I see a new one, it’s a struggle to not delete the email, turn the station, or avoid bible plans that contain these analogies.
I understand that there are sports nuts out there. My dad was one of them.
I really enjoy your articles and the principles you teach. Your ministry fills a very real void we have in current church practices.
I’m just a follower of Jesus, and my opinion means very little.
I would simply prefer fewer sports analogies.
Thank you for your time…
My response is opposite the previous feedback – I really like sports illustations. Thank you!
Thank you for leading in the way God intended you too and not changing because of opinions. God designed us all to be different and using sports analogies is a way to reach men, that may not be reached any other way. The bigger picture is that life is not about our feelings, it’s being whom God called you to be!
Thank you all for the feedback. No worries on John’s feedback as it’s hard to write something that many of us haven’t read before. But we try none the less. I was telling John that we just couldn’t bring ourselves to write a Devotion called “2020” because everyone was doing it. So we chose to write about “Focus”. For Christmas we went a little off the main road and chose “WiseMen”. For Easter we chose “A Glorious Burden”. We are always trying to get better and I didn’t take John feedback in a bad way. PS – right after John commented, he stepped up and volunteered to write for Uncommen. Now that’s Uncommen!
Thank you, Frank. I appreciate those thoughts.
I have never heard this analogy before. I too have heard many sports analogies, but this one created one of the best visuals where you can almost see yourself on the field as the running back. Thank you for taking time to put this together. Nicely done.
Thank you, Kevin. This has been on my heart for quite some time. I’m glad that you were able to relate.
Great message brother!! Even though I don’t watch sports… the analogy of Jesus as our fullback was a good one. Appreciate all you do 🙂
I’m glad that you enjoyed it, Jorge. Thank you.