Sept.30 – “The Power of the Whole”

September 30, 2008

I’ve had the glorious task of coaching Jr. high football over the last few years.  It’s glorious, largely because you get to help a bunch of (mainly) boys go out and get to legally, hit one another.  For most of their lives, before and after, this is patently NOT legal or right.  But, for a brief period in the Fall, they get to strap on a lot of expensive gear and run into one another.  The great part about beginning players is they are just figuring things out, and occasionally you see them run out on the field with less than everything on.  Not naked, usually!  But, maybe missing the pads in their pants, or their toothguard, or a hip pad.  What they don’t sometimes realize is; none of the gear in a football uniform is considered ornamental or extra.  It’s all there to serve the purpose of keeping a part of you from getting wounded.  You may not LIKE the feel of the rubber toothguard, but it feels better than losing your teeth when you get tackled, or biting your tongue in half, or suffering a concussion, all of which are part of the toothguard’s protective duties.

So, today I offer you up this; that little word “whole”.  Paul says in our continuing adventure in spiritual warfare from Ephesians to put on the WHOLE armor of God.  This implies a couple things.  There’s more than one direction an attack can come from, and we’re vulnerable in more than one spot.  If all we needed was a shield, or helmet, then it would be easier.  So my question today to you is this;

Where is your armor’s weak spot?  Or maybe a different way to think about it is this; what parts of you do you spend the LEAST time defending?  Is it your head?  Heart?  Pick another part, if you can think of one!