Play Your Game

Though I enjoy watching the game, I wouldn’t say I’m a big hockey fan. But I do love the movie “Miracle,” about a coach who takes a bunch of college kids, forms them into an Olympic team, and wins the gold, defeating the 20 year winning streak of the Russian team. Several times in the movie, Coach Brooks tells the players to “play your game” or to “worry about your own game, there’s plenty there to keep you busy,” meaning that they should focus on what they were supposed to do and not worry about what the other team or their teammates were doing. That idea has stuck with me since the first time I watched it.

John 21:22 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”

This is one of the last verses in the book of John. Jesus had just told Peter what would happen to him later in life, and Peter asked what would happen to John. Jesus basically told Peter to mind his own business. What happened to John did not affect Peter. Peter was to follow Jesus, to live for Him, regardless of what anyone else did.

That idea really is profound. I think a lot of Christians (myself included) get caught up focusing on what others (Christian or not) are doing, namely what they are doing wrong. We notice that they let their kids watch movies we think are too mature for them, or wear clothing we think is inappropriate, or listen to music we don’t like. The list could go on. And some of those may be perfectly correct. Some of those people may really be sinning and it is obvious to us. But that is not the point.

It really is not our business what they do, or how or when God works in their lives. Our business is our lives, how we live and what we do. How they live and what they do is their business.

Of course, the Bible does call us to correct blatant sin, and there may be times when we see a friend acting unwisely that we feel we need to say something. But we don’t need to be nosy busy-bodies who are always in other people’s business, worrying about what they are doing.

Matthew 7:3-5, MSG

"Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, “Let me wash your face for you,” when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor. "

We need to focus on Jesus. We need to make sure that our lives are what they should be. We need to do what we are called to do and not worry about anyone else. Worry is not something that we are supposed to do at all. Instead we are to pray, take the issue to God and let Him deal with it. That is to be our response to those we think are not what they should be. We do not know every detail of the circumstance, we may misunderstand something. We also do not know what God is doing and our interference could hinder or delay God’s work in them. We need to focus on our game and let God deal with theirs. Of course, pray for them, the more the better, but don’t worry, don’t meddle, don’t interfere.

So how is your game?