One shot...

This morning as I've been praying and reading some Scripture in the the 4th chapter of the book of Nehemiah, I was drawn to the keyboard. The story picks up as Nehemiah is in the process of rebuilding the wall in Jerusalem and is facing opposition from Sanballat, Tobiah and others who have an intense hatred for the Jewish people and for Nehemiah in particular. What I love about the story is that Nehemiah chooses to be proactive and meet the threat head on instead of trying to negotiate or stop his work. His vision and mission drives him to press on in the face of great opposition. We can read some incredibly inspiring words that feel like they would fit before the climactic battle scene of any recent Hollywood movie..."Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes." Nehemiah understod that this was his one shot at greatness. He wasn't about to allow anyone to back him off of his dream.

I beleive that my life and any Christian's life, for that matter, should be lived with that same tenacious spirit. We all are given an assignment from God for our lives. Certainly, we will face opposition and confusion. But, we must fight through it. There is not a day to waste! Let nothing derail your dream. Don't let your guard down for a second. One of my favorite movies is The Natural. In this classic from the early eighties, Robert Redford plays a middle aged rookie, Roy Hobbs, who storms on to the baseball scene as a phenomonal hitter and all around player. The story is about redemption because earlier in the movie, we learn that Hobbs was drafted as a teenage prodigy. Before he departs for his first spring training, he tells his sweetheart, " I want to be the best - the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be." He understood that he was put on the earth to play ball. The tragedy occurs a short time later when he allows himself to be seduced by a "black widow" type character who critically injures him by shooting him in the chest. The next time we see Hobbs is twenty years later during his rookie season with the Knights. Twenty years down the drain because he allowed himself to be sidetracked. He let his guard down... The story is redeemed of course in the climactic scene - I won't spoil it - go rent it.

The point is this - if you know what you were meant to do with your life then waste no time. Go do it! You've made enough plans. You've spent enough time preparing strategies. You've reconciled your dream over and over in your mind. Now move...whether that dream is rebuilding a wall or inventing a longer burning fuel for a motor vehicle. Even in ministry, there are risks that we are sometimes afraid to take...where have all of the evangelists gone? Has it become too hard to make it? I look at the few that I know with a new respect and admiration. They are on the wall working with one hand and fighting off the enemy with the other.

Friends, we have one shot - just one. Nehemiah understood this and it led him to pick up his sword and keep on mission. Don't stop. Don't give up. Don't be distracted. Don't forfeit eternal glory for temporal safety.

Jerry Maguire memo moment...over.