Wrestlers

This winter I've had the opportunity to work as an assistant wrestling coach with the local high school team. It's been good to lace up my shoes again and step on the mat. I've enjoyed coaching, my wife says that I'm most alive when I'm working with boys and young men, helping them reach their potential. And with wrestling there are different types of young men.

You have some with talent, and some who don't have any. There are some who work hard and some who slack off. There are some that are there to compete, to be the best, and others who are there simply to goof around. Some of them frustrate you and others you love, and coaches have to work with all of them.

There are a few kids that should be state bound this year, they have the talent and know how to use it. There are some who have the potential to be phenomenal wrestlers. They are strong and solid, but have little drive or aggression. There are two that have the talent to be good, but just goof around all of practice, wasting their talent. And there are some with little talent, or little experience, that out work everyone else in the room. It's often that way, the ones with the least talent are the ones that work the hardest.

I was one of them. Most kids today start wrestling at four or five years old. I didn't start until seventh grade. Right away I was a middle weight with guys who had been wrestling most of their lives, I had a lot of ground to make up. I out worked everyone. I worked hard in the room, and did everything I could in the off season, running, lifting, as many open tournaments as I could find, open mats wherever I could get (thank you to my dad for the time and money he put into this). And even when I had gotten to be a good wrestler I kept working hard, I had seen the results of it, and so it continued to drive me.

That's why it frustrates me so much now to see some of these boys. They have more talent then I ever did, but they waste it because the work is hard. It frustrates me that some of the hardest workers don't get to see the victory that their work deserves. There is one kid who has a goal that his work has earned but his talent, barring a miracle, will never achieve. And some have the talent to be the best but their work ethic keeps them from achieving their full potential. It makes me wonder why God didn't bless the hard workers with the talent.

The Bible talks about Spiritual gifts in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12. These are God given talents to be used by us to serve others, build the Kingdom, and glorify God. Some have several, no one has them all, everyone has at least one. "Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly" Romans 12.6; "But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good" 1 Corinthians 12.7.

God has given each of us at least one skill to use for Him. think about it, the God who spoke the universe into existence has decided to give you and me a talent that we can use to serve Him. The God who holds the universe in the palm of His hand, a universe that we are really, really small in, has given us a gift to serve Him. He has invited us to give Him glory that He must receive, allowing us to take part in the worship of Him. It is a service we are unworthy to give and unfit to offer, but He still invites and desires for us to give it to Him. Not only that, but He enables us, empowers us, to do it!

Why then do we waste our gifts? It is something precious given to us by God, and we ignore it, or treat it like it's nothing at all. One of the most frustrating things to a coach is the talented kid who wastes his talent by not working hard. It's almost heartbreaking, you see a kid that could do so well, who could get so for and do so much, and simply won't work for it. Do you think God feels the same way?

Let us not waste our gifts, let us use them for the glory of God. My mentor says there are six things that show a person where they are gifted; three internal and three external. The internal are joy, ease and losing track of time while you do it. When you serve you are joyful, you aren't drained but energized. When you serve it is easy, you get it done quickly and efficiently, you don't have to work that hard at it. When you serve you lose track of time, you aren't constantly looking at your watch. The external things are, fruitfulness, affirmation, and confirmation. When you serve things happen. When you serve people affirm you, telling you that you do it well. When you serve leaders confirm you, that you have that gift. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CtCYrfGHQw)

Find your place to serve, discover your gift. Use it, don't waste it. Jesus told a story once about a master who went on a journey and gave each of his servants an amount of money. Two of them put it to work and on his return we praised. The third one however did not. He buried his portion, and when the master returned he called him wicked and lazy and said, "'Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'" But to the ones who had used their portion the master said, "Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master"(Matthew 25.14-30).

Which one do you want to be? What do you want to hear? Use your gifts for the glory of God.

Peace be with you