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I heard a testimony the other day which I have been unable to forget. It was powerful and spoke to me because it pushed many of my buttons: the father, coach and faith buttons to be specific. The pastor retold of his role in counseling a teenage girlfriend to have an abortion and how he failed to be the champion God had called him to be at the moment in time.
We often talk about what it takes to be a champion. We stress having a goal, reminding each other of the goal and the steps to achieving it. We discuss the preparation needed, the accountability, the encouragement, the next man up mentality, the fact everyone has a role to play in the team's success and the unquestionable belief in each other knowing we have each other's back. When God calls us to be a champion for him and to be his hands and feet on earth is it any different?
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
We are to present ourselves as "workman" which is to embody all the characteristics of a champion. We are to pursue noble and righteous goals so as to not be "ashamed" and we are to be purveyors of "truth". God is calling each of us to be a champion off the field. We are to identify situations where we know truth is not being told and where God's will is not being pursued and we are to engage with our championship, workmanlike, mentality.
The pastor's testimony was one of those situations played out to many times in our culture. He faced an opportunity to be the champion for the young lady who was being told not to have her child. She was being told by her culture that the baby was not a life, she was being told by her family that she was too young to have a child, she was being told by medical professionals and counselors there were no adverse side effects to having an abortion and wherever she looked there was not a champion to slay those dragons. Instead, he joined those who were not speaking truth, and he turned a blind eye to his faith shaming himself in the process.
The pastor lived for many years with the guilt of his actions. He watched as the young lady suffered from guilt and depression, he watched as other people in his situation stepped up to save the life of other children and find them a home. He witnessed as other young men boldly stood up for what they knew to be God's will. It was only through God's redemptive message and the blood of Jesus that the pastor was able to obtain the peace he needed. Our God is so powerful and so merciful he provided the pastor another opportunity. This time he was called to be a father under abnormal circumstances. The pastor arose to the occasion and was the champion God called him to be as he became the father of a baby girl who was in need of a champion.
God will provide us opportunities to be a champion off the field but we must prepare ourselves daily. We must put on the "Full Armor of God" (Ephesians 6:10) We must be prepared to do battle with those who work to thwart the will of God because the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
