Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs

[Judy Harder]

Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
     
Watch It

One of the things you get in Game Plan for Life is some straight talk on some real stuff. But as sort of a bonus, you also get (here and there) a little ancient philosophy to go with your modern advice—like this, from the Greek thinker Socrates: "The unexamined life is not worth living."

Any of us who struggle to keep our weight where the doctor says it should be or who've never met an excuse that couldn't talk us out of exercising—we know how easy it is for our personal health to go from managed care to total anarchy. Sometimes we exert a lot more energy examining what's in the pantry than we do examining what God expects of our overall fitness habits.

Health experts tell us that if we had to catalog or journal our calorie intake and our workout reps, most of us would be shocked at how much we consume and how little we burn off. But those who pay attention, those who consider it important to "examine" themselves, are the only ones who live in the truth of their situation. They don't trick themselves into believing that everything is okay when it isn't.

"So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled" (1 Thessalonians 5:6). Wake up and smell the coffee. And stay in charge of what you let in all day.

Pray this prayer: Help me develop the courage, Lord, to make deliberate decisions on how I handle myself, not letting life just come to me, but choosing to do right, choosing to be healthy.

Please visit Joe Gibbs' Website at www.GamePlanForLife.com for Joe's Video Blog and more!

 

[Judy Harder]

God's Power in Action
God has a way of allowing us to be in the right place at the right time.

I was walking down a dimly lit street late one evening when I heard muffled screams coming from behind a clump of bushes. Alarmed, I slowed down to listen, and panicked when I realized that what I was hearing were the unmistakable sounds of a struggle: heavy grunting, frantic scuffling, and tearing of fabric.

Only yards from where I stood, a woman was being attacked. Should I get involved? I was frightened for my own safety, and cursed myself for having suddenly decided to take a new route home that night. What if I became another statistic? Shouldn't I just run to the nearest phone and call the police?

Although it seemed an eternity, the deliberations in my head had taken only seconds, but already the girl's cries were growing weaker. I knew I had to act fast. How could I walk away from this? No, I finally resolved, I could not turn my back on the fate of this unknown woman, even if it meant risking my own life.

I am not a brave man, nor am I athletic. I don't know where I found the moral courage and physical strength -- but once I had finally resolved to help the girl, I became strangely transformed. I ran behind the bushes and pulled the assailant off the woman. Grappling, we fell to the ground, where we wrestled for a few minutes until the attacker jumped up and escaped.

Panting hard, I scrambled upright and approached the girl, who was crouched behind a tree, sobbing. In the darkness, I could barely see her outline, but I could certainly sense her trembling shock. Not wanting to frighten her further, I at first spoke to her from a distance. "It's okay," I said soothingly. "The man ran away. You're safe now."

There was a long pause and then I heard the words, uttered in wonder, in amazement. "Dad, is that you?" And then, from behind the tree, out stepped my youngest daughter, Katherine.

[Judy Harder]

Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
     


Room to Be Human

We definitely live in a celebrity culture. How many industries—from sports talk to memorabilia sales—are manufactured on the backs of a culture that can't get enough scoop or goods on today's headline makers? We know they're just people, but somehow we're willing to let them be larger-than-life. It's in our cultural DNA.

But even those who impress us with their skill and swagger—the ones who are among the best at what they do—miss a lot of reads in the course of a game. They foul a lot of balls into the stands. They push a lot of shots wide of the fairway. Success is a matter of consistent skill and effort, but nowhere near perfection. There's never been a superstar who didn't know how it felt to pace the sidelines, frustrated with his play.

If you're in one of those funks where you're down on yourself for making an unwise decision at work, or underestimating how long something would take, or guessing wrong on a snap judgment call, maybe this would be a good day to cut yourself some slack. Nobody gets everything right, and God understands that about us. "As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust" (Psalm 103:13-14).

Be fair with yourself today. Don't let a little pop-out keep you from swinging for the fences.

Pray this prayer: Lord God, thank you for knowing me better than I know myself, for being willing to forgive me when I foul things up. I pray for the courage to get back in and try again—for your glory.

Please visit Joe Gibbs' Website at www.GamePlanForLife.com for Joe's Video Blog and more!

[Judy Harder]

July 25, 2011

Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
     


Forward Thinking

We've never been to a funeral, no matter how tragic or expected the person's death, when much of the service and the conversations surrounding it didn't center on memories of his or her life. We recall happier times we spent together. We reflect on what this individual was like. We regret that we won't be able to enjoy their smile or laughter anymore on earth.

We look back. That's all we humans really know how to do. To look back is to know. To look ahead is merely to guess and wonder.

But not for the believer in Jesus Christ. Our view looking forward, though lacking in some of the specifics God has chosen not to reveal, is one of confidence and knowledge, of hope and authentic anticipation. Randy Alcorn writes in Game Plan for Life, "As people age, they tend to look back at when they were at their best, knowing they'll never regain those days. But if you're a Christ-follower, you don't look back to your peak. You look forward to it."

Imagine being encouraged, as Randy says, that "the strongest I've ever felt is just a hint of what's to come." Imagine being sure that "the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God" (Romans 8:21). Imagine being able to look ahead . . . and know.

Pray this prayer: Lord, there's so much I don't understand. But as one who has given his life to you, I pray that you will settle my heart whenever I doubt your promises. Help me believe in your love for me.

Please visit Joe Gibbs' Website at www.GamePlanForLife.com for Joe's Video Blog and more!

 

[Judy Harder]

August 01, 2011     


Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
     
All Play, No Work?

Some people think being a Christian is code-word for slacking off, not expecting much, being more willing to understand and overlook a shoddy day's work. So although there are plenty of us who lean more toward being workaholics, there are plenty more who need to realize that high expectations don't go flying out the window just because you've been promised eternal life.

Granted—again—the Christian ranks are filled with men who basically ignore God's command to experience a Sabbath rest in their week. They think that taking a break in the action to deliberately quiet themselves in prayer and worship, to refresh and replenish, will just give the others a chance to catch up. Surely a man can do more in seven days than in six.

But too many are taking this rest-and-relaxation routine a little too far. And if one of those men is you—if you'd admit that you're not putting out your maximum effort on the job— notice that in the same Scripture passage where God delivered His directive on Sabbath-keeping, he also stated the obvious counter-balance: "Six days you shall labor and do all your work" (Exodus 20:9).

So before you kick back for another weekend, remember that Ten Commandments-style resting implies you've been doing something all week that needs resting from. Make your Sabbath a great one by giving every other day your very best.

Pray this prayer: Lord, I can pretend my work ethic is something it's not. But help me see myself honestly in this regard—to see where I'm out of balance, one way or the other.

[Judy Harder]

 
Monday, August 08, 2011     

Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
     
Work Slowdown

We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to achieve and succeed. And if we're not careful, the pursuit of one more sale, one more percentage point, or one more dollar sign can utterly consume our lives. If it doesn't, we know they can find someone else who will.

This makes the following statement from the Bible a brave one: "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody" (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12). It's a call to hard work, yes, but also to the pursuit of work's greater goal—a "quiet life."

This is not the same as a lazy life, one with never a care or concern. A quiet life is one of perspective and balance. Business, labor, and career will always have certain seasons that call for an extra ummph of exertion. Not every day will be "quiet," and we shouldn't expect it to be. Still, a quiet life should remain our general "ambition"—our overall normal—so that when work expectations are keeping our lives noisy and chaotic week after month after year, courage and conviction will call us to make some changes. Our lifestyle becomes our lifetime quicker than we know it. And quiet only comes to those who seek it.

Pray this prayer: I need your help, God, to understand what this means for me. I don't want to do anything rash, but I do want to be in your will. I want to experience life the way you intend it to be.

Please visit Joe Gibbs' Website at www.GamePlanForLife.com for Joe's Video Blog and more!

 

[Judy Harder]

 August 15, 2011     


Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
     
Breakfast of Champions

Every year when NFL training camp rolls around, there are guys who come in hungry and fired up, fresh from an off-season workout regimen that has gotten them in playing shape right from the get-go. But every team also has players who show up fat and flabby, twenty pounds over their goal weight, gasping for breath at the first sight of wind sprints. Failure to stick to a plan has cost them the stamina they need to get started on the right foot. They may be able to fool some people with their athletic looks and muscular bodies. But NFL coaches can tell when a guy's been dogging it since January.

You're probably not a professional ball player, but the same principle still applies to you. The concept Jesus taught that "no good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit" (Luke 6:43) has a universal draw on every man. Steady doses of unhealthy choices and activities will bear themselves out in the way we feel, the way we think, the way we stand up to stressful situations. If we're not willing to make sacrifices and faithful habits a regular part of our day, fatigue will not only become a way of life, it will become a belt size everyone else can see better than we can.

"The good man brings good things out of the good stored in his heart" (Luke 6:45). The same goes for stomachs and large muscle groups, too.

Pray this prayer: Lord, make me a man who doesn't have to fake who he is—not in health, not in work ethic, not in family life, not in anything. Help me see that who I become is the result of what I invest.

[Judy Harder]

August 22, 2011     

Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
     
Death to Fear

We're all pretty different. Different tastes in restaurants. Different sizes of televisions. Different favorite places to go on vacation. But one thing that's common to every man on earth is this: we're all on a collision course with death. Except for those living among the blessed generation who will still be filling out their dress shirts when Jesus comes back, no one's getting out of here alive.

And some people have a hard time living with that.

Think of how this one particular slice of reality hangs over your head on any given day. Think of how hard you fight to keep yourself looking young and age-defiant. Think of the medical scenarios that run through your head when you feel a new twinge or body ache, when an unexpected pain catches in your chest or side. Think of what happens when you realize it could have just as easily been you killed in the bridge collapse or tornado damage reported on the news tonight.

But Jesus, the Bible says, has died in our place "so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death" (Hebrews 2:15). Yes, death is a heavy subject to ponder. But it doesn't have to hold us in slavery or overwhelm us in fear. Because of Jesus, we not only live forever. We can live free right now.

Pray this prayer: God, I don't like to think about going through the suffering and separation of death. But I pray you'll help me live in the confidence of heaven, so that I can keep from being afraid of dying.

Please visit Joe Gibbs' Website at www.GamePlanForLife.com for Joe's Video Blog and more!

[Judy Harder]

August 29, 2011   


Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
     
Ups and Downs

The medal stand. The winner's circle. The trophy presentation ceremony, followed at noon the next day by an open-convertible parade down Main Street. The sports world knows how to tell who's been successful at accomplishing what they set out to do. You can spot the champion by the title he holds.

But God doesn't work that way. Titles, ranking, and position are not his barometers of success for us, nor should they be of ours. Just because a man seems to be winning doesn't mean he's done the best job or is the most deserving of praise. Just because a man appears to be losing doesn't mean he's failed at a critical moment or has choked under pressure. God has his own reasons for letting some taste the rewards of success and letting others continue to battle from beneath the pile.

"It is God who judges: he brings one down, he exalts another" (Psalm 75:7). He may allow a man to earn a promotion, not because he's by far the most qualified, but because this person has a weakness for power that needs exposing and correcting. God may allow a man to be overlooked at work, not because this guy doesn't possess what it takes to advance, but to make him better prepared for a greater opportunity down the line.

With God, the possibilities are always endless. Don't make him have to play our game in order to win your trust.

Pray this prayer: Lord, I get confused sometimes and start judging things by this world's playbook, not by yours. Help me to accept the fact that you know what you're doing, much better than I do.

[Judy Harder]

September 05, 2011     

Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
     
The Ultimate Rescue

There are few symbols of bravery more compelling than that of New York City's first responders streaming into Towers One and Two on this cloudless day in 2001. If not for those squadrons of emergency crews, heavy with rescue gear, bounding up ring after ring of suffocating stairwells, the tragedy that claimed thousands of human lives could have easily killed tens of thousands.

We can hardly fathom such extreme levels of heroism. We don't quite know how to express our awe and gratitude toward those who risk their lives—every day, just as on this one horrific day—to save others.

But even with their daring sense of courage and self-sacrifice, even with hours of rescue training and contingency planning, these modern-day heroes are not able to save everyone. There are limits to what they can do. Time runs out. Gravity outweighs them.

How much awe and praise, then, should go to the Lord Jesus Christ, who's never encountered a life he couldn't save? No matter how black the sin or how impossible the situation, no matter how late the hour or how heavy the damage, he is able to snatch men from life's ultimate danger zone, saving them from eternal death.

"For my Father's will," he said, "is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:40). Everyone. That means you. Wherever you are, your rescuer is here.

Pray this prayer: Lord Jesus, I'm trapped in my sins with no way out. I've tried every escape there is, and none of them work. I'm calling out to you today as my last resort. I'm so sorry for what I've done. I'm so sure now that you're the Son of God. I need you. Please help me