Motivation from Herm Edwards and the Apostle Paul

I like Herm Edwards.

The former NFL coach is famous for his fiery speeches.

In the clip above, Edwards was speaking to NFL rookies at the league’s recent rookie symposium. He lectured them on hard work, talent, and being a professional in the league.

The words that really stood out to me were his closing ones.

“Don’t waste your talent.”

In the NFL, where millions are often wasted on players who don’t apply themselves, I hope these words ring true for the new rookies.

The Apostle Paul was also a great motivational communicator. He didn’t have YouTube or the bright lights of ESPN, but he had the Hebrew Scriptures from which to share wisdom. He also drew from his personal experience.

Paul knew that he didn’t deserve to be an apostle because he had been a persecutor of the church, but he also knew that God’s grace had made him who he was, and that by God’s grace he could work hard at his new “occupation” (1 Corinthians 15:9).

He got a second chance and made the most of it. I guess you could say that he didn’t waste his talent.

Whatever your past, whatever your talent, are you making the most of it by God’s grace?

— Chris Pugh

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Video clip from ESPN’s YouTube page)

Unique past, unique future

6/5 Saul’s Well That Ends Well from Grace Polaris on Vimeo.

Evantell, an evangelistic organization that I highly respect, suggests that the Apostle Paul’s conversion experience can be a great encouragement to those of us who are praying for people to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. You can’t get much more hostile to Christianity than Paul was prior to the events depicted in Acts 9. If Paul, who had persecuted Christians so severely, could place his trust in Christ as Savior, then anyone can (as the Holy Spirit works in his heart; see John 6:44).

Pastor Jonathan will discuss Paul’s conversion in the upcoming sermon at Grace Polaris, but this past Sunday, Pastor Ed discussed Paul’s background prior to his conversion (video above). One of his conclusions is profound for those of us who have had phases of our lives in which we more or less turned our back on God. He said, “Consider my past to be God’s instrument for the future.”

In other words, whatever our past looks like, our pedigree, our lifestyle, our natural and learned talents, God wants to use our unique past—uniquely—in the future. Ed emphasized this word “unique,” and I’m glad he did. Nobody’s past is beyond God’s redeeming grace, and a man’s past, including the good and the bad, positions him specially to serve God now and in the coming weeks, months, and years.

—— Beau Stanley

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Why should a Christian take care of his body?

Welcome to our Friday “Ask Beau” post. The purpose of this weekly feature is to provide you, our readers, with biblical responses to questions you have about practical issues that you face.

We invite you to submit questions for future “Ask Beau” posts by contacting us at beau.stanley@gracebrethren.org or viewfromthepugh@yahoo.com or by leaving a comment.

Today’s question: Why should a Christian take care of his body? Doesn’t 1 Timothy 4:8 say, “Bodily exercise profiteth little”?

Here, as always in the Bible (and with any other text, I might add), context is important. The verse continues by saying, “. . . but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come” (KJV).

Paul’s point is not that there is no value in caring for the body, but rather that exercise is relatively unimportant compared to godliness, because the benefits of godliness extend beyond this life. A number of modern versions (ESV, HCSB, NET, NIV) convey the meaning of Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 4:8 with translations like “Bodily training is of some value” (ESV; emphasis mine).

It is true that a godly attitude will lead us to elevate spiritual concerns above physical concerns, but a godly attitude will also lead us to be good stewards of our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19). God is displeased when we make physical fitness an idol, but He is very pleased when we tend to our physical fitness while keeping it in the proper perspective.

Why should a Christian take care of his body? There are a number of reasons. First, a man honors God by being a good steward of his body. Second, a man may promote his own spiritual discipline by being physically disciplined. Third, a man who tends to his fitness doesn’t unnecessarily offend people by sending the message that this life is insignificant.

If we had to pick spiritual fitness or physical fitness, we would be wise to pick spiritual fitness. Fortunately, the two are not mutually exclusive.

So if you are one of the few men reading this blog who has six-pack abs, you might be OK.

— Beau Stanley

(EDITOR’S NOTE—Photo: Jupiterimages/Comstock/Thinkstock)

The legacies of Kobe Bryant and the Apostle Paul

Monday night I tuned in to the Brian Kenny Show on ESPN Radio in the midst of an interesting discussion. Kenny, who I find to be a gracious person with a fun accent, had asked this question: Does the way the Lakers exited this year’s NBA playoffs affect Kobe Bryant’s legacy?

Personally, I think the answer is, “Not really.” Kobe already has five NBA championships, and he has proven that he is a top-level player. Nonetheless, the discussion about Bryant and his legacy reminds us that that a poor finish can indeed mar a career of excellence. It is tough to leave an outstanding legacy.

In 2 Timothy 4:7, the Apostle Paul was able to look back on his life and say, “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith” (NET). Paul had been faithful to the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ and had allowed the Holy Spirit to work in him to glorify God. He looked forward to being rewarded for his faithfulness (4:8). Timothy, Paul’s protégé, was one of the many benefactors of Paul’s legacy.

If we want to leave a good legacy and finish well, we should be diligent in the present to hear and obey the voice of the Holy Spirit. After all, we don’t know how many years we have left – Jesus may come back tomorrow, or our lives may end before we finish the work day. Maybe our finishing time is right now. Even if we have many years left on this earth, we want to lay a foundation of faithfulness today that will hold solid years from now.

As Fred Chay, my mentor from Phoenix Seminary likes to say, right now counts forever. Let us consider the call to be faithful at this very moment and look forward to the Lord’s rewards. Then, when we come to die or the Lord returns, we will be able to say triumphantly, “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.”

— Beau Stanley

The Apostle Paul and the Mayo Clinic on men’s health

God desires for us to be good stewards of our bodies. Paul wrote about the physical body in 1 Corinthians 6:19–20: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body” (NET).

To help us in the effort to be good stewards of our bodies, I am pleased to pass along this link to an article written by the Mayo Clinic that appears on OhioHealth’s Web site. The article discusses how we can prevent the top threats to men’s health. I hope you find it helpful.

Thanks to Valerie, who works for OhioHealth, for passing on the link.

— Beau Stanley