Taking the "R"

As I was preparing last week's sermon I ran across a great story about Coach Don Shula, to date the NFL coach with the most wins, at 357, I believe.  Naturally, people want to know Don Shula's "secret" to winning.  I don't know what his secret was to winning, but I discovered one about losing that I'd like to share with you.

Apparently, during a live game one evening, Shula lost his temper and accidentally let fly with a stream of profanity near an open mic.  I hate it when that happens, don't you?  As you might expect, viewers were shocked and upset with what they heard and sent in letters to the network complaining.   Shula could have made excuses or blamed the technician responsible for leaving the mic on, but he didn't.  He took responsibility for his actions.  He personally replied to every letter that was sent in, as long as there was a return address to send it to.  In the letter he apologized and stated that he was sorry he had lost the viewer's respect and would work very hard to regain it.  How many letters were there?  How long would something like this take?  Who knows?  It didn't matter.  As some management and leadership circles like to say, Shula "took the  R" - that is, he took responsibility - for his mistake and sought to make it right.

The secret to losing?  Take responsibility for your sin.  Own up to it and seek to make it right whenever possible.

In our passage from James (1.9-18) on Sunday we were warned of where sin comes from: it comes from us.  We are tempted and dragged away and enticed by our own evil desires, he says.  In the original language it is more emphatic.  There may be other things in our lives and circumstances that make resisting such a temptation more difficult for us, certainly, but we must begin by owning up to our own sinful desires and the idols to which we bow down.

In this week's Mission Briefing we gave you a prayer exercise on dealing with sin, on taking responsibility and giving ourselves to the process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others.  I hope you have already begun this process, but if not, please do.  Our journey of "becoming" depends on each of us and our willingness to take responsibility and do the work.

I pray God meets you in powerful ways in the remainder of this week.  May grace, mercy, humility, authenticity and integrity be yours as you seek to place yourself in this process of spiritual formation.  Amen.

- Pastor Stacey