Words to Treasure
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your strength and with all your mind.
Luke 10:27
Coach Dave didn’t look very happy. “I don’t know what to say, Gary. Practice will be on Sunday morning. If you don’t make practice every week, you can’t play first string. I don’t see why it’s a question — the team needs you.”
Gary felt his heart sink. He had worked hard to be first string on his hockey team, but he also felt he needed to be at church. He gave a heavy sigh. Now it came down to God or hockey? Gary wished he didn’t have to make this choice. “Sorry, I won’t be able to make Sunday practices, Coach.”
Coach Dave looked disappointed. “Gary. I thought you were committed.”
Gary picked up his skates. “I am. To church.”
There will be times when people won’t understand your close relationship with God. But that’s not your problem. Putting God first in your life is never the wrong choice. When faced with choices, pray for God’s direction, talk to Christians you respect, and then do what is right.
Did You Know?
Did you know sometimes even Jesus’ own family didn’t understand him? Jesus was constantly surrounded by crowds of people, and his family felt they had to take charge and rescue him. Some of them thought Jesus was out of his mind. So if people don’t get you and your relationship with God, you’re in good company. They didn’t get Jesus sometimes either. (See Mark 3:20 – 21.)