No "I" in Team

For the last couple of months we have had the pleasure of watching our grandson play basketball and his sister cheer at those games.

The players were young and often made mistakes, as is to be expected.

At first the referees would stop often to have what they called "a teachable moment," giving instructions and explanations to the players and sometimes to the parents sitting on the bleachers.  As the season progressed there was less need for "teachable moments" and more need for encouragement.  And encouragement was given.

It was given in the form of the audience shouting from the bleachers.  It was given in the form coaches shouting from the sidelines.  It was given in the form of teammates, both on and off the court, shouting.  It was given in the form of cute little cheerleaders chanting simple cheers.  There was encouragement coming from everywhere!

If we could see with our spiritual eyes, we would know the same is true of us as Christians.

The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit encourage us.  Our fellow Christians encourage us. And the Scriptures encourage us.  In fact they tell us we are compassed about "with so great a cloud of witnesses."

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us , and let us run with patience the race that is set before us," Hebrews 12:1.

I don't know what that means but I do know it means there is never a time when shouts of encouragement  are not coming or way.

"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain," 1 Corinthians 9:24.