BELIEVE
Tiffany gave me a Christmas gift that helps me prepare for each day. It is a sign that says, “BELIEVE,” inspired by “Ted Lasso.” If you aren’t familiar with the show, the character Ted Lasso is an accomplished American football coach. He was hired to coach a British football team, but doesn’t know anything about the sport we call, soccer. His hire was designed to tank the team, but nobody gave Lasso the memo. He became a successful coach not because of his soccer knowledge, but his knowledge about how to inspire people. Lasso taught the team about forgetting mistakes, pressing on for the goal, depending upon each other, and believing in hope. Lasso installed a “BELIEVE” sign in the locker room and encouraged each player to acknowledge it whenever they head out to the field. He wanted the team to not just see it, but put it into action.
I installed my very own “BELIEVE” sign above our interior door leading out to the garage. I look at it every day as I leave the comfy confines and head out into the world. I don’t see it as an homage to a television program, because it helps remind me of my calling. It helps me keep my beliefs front-and-center, and have them animate me for action.
Jesus said in John 6:47, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.” The context for this verse comes after Jesus gave some difficult teaching that foreshadowed Holy Communion. Jesus also mentioned that people can see and experience God as they look upon, and live with, Him. That was controversial to say the least! Jesus made radical statements and declarations that challenged conventional wisdom. Jesus did not just deliver a belief system, He wanted belief to change the way people lived. This was not solely about looking toward living in heaven, but living in such a way that we bring heaven to earth.
How do you understand belief in Jesus? Did He merely give good wisdom for life, or does His wisdom change your life? He grants you the gift of eternity when you believe, but that carries a need to respond…to live differently now…to live for God. Living for God and studying His Word reveals some pretty powerful truth. Jesus came to forgive your past misses and messes so you can live anew. He wants you to press on for the goal of eternity by living differently today. He wants you to be part of a church so you can depend upon others for support and accountability. He also wants you to believe and live a life with great expectation for hope with a future. It’s almost as though Ted Lasso learned many of his leadership lessons from the GOAT (a moniker for greatest of all time in sports discussions). We all can when we learn from Jesus.
So let’s do it! Let’s BELIEVE and have that change the way we live, now and forever!
