Lesson #2 - Play Your Position

I never wanted to be a hockey goalie.  I played goal for one practice and I knew that it was not for me.  I didn’t like being goalie and found myself quite disinterested in the position.  Life is like this as well.   God gives each one of us a desire that makes us unique.  Our personal desire is a God thing.  He made us this way.  It is how God motivates His people.  To inspire us to take care of our bodies and to insure our proper nourishment we get hungry. Our hunger motivates us to eat. To populate the world God gave us a sexual desire. To insure that we rest and sleep He made us with limited strength.  When our energy is spent we have a desire to sleep.  We need to acknowledge our God given desires.

As I played hockey I played with kids who had a desire to play goalie and those who thoroughly enjoyed defense.  My desire was to play as a forward.  I thought like a forward. This position motivated me.  We all need to ask ourselves: what motivates us?  What is the desire that God has placed within you?  That desire in your heart has been placed within by God.  These desires are the key to our lives.  Desire is meant to motivate us to action.  It is important to consider what desires God has placed within each of us. 

My greatest frustration in minor hockey was a coach that I had that insisted I play left wing. By the age of 8 my illustrious career had proven to me, “Jean Beliveau Jr”., that I was a center men.   For some strange reason he seldom put me in the center position.  That year I scored fewer goals and had a terrible year.  I can’t even remember if our team made the play-offs.  I realize that my attitude probably wasn’t great but I do know that many of our players spent a year completely out of sorts.  It was a very disappointing year. 

Good coaches insist that their players play their position, the position that they can excel in and contribute. This insistence causes each player to be elevated to a place of shared value.  Yes, each team often has its’ valuable players but the bottom line is that nobody can do it alone.  A team is called “a team” because it takes many players to get the job done.  No forward can win without strong defense and goal tending.  No goalie can win a game without his defense and someone to forward the puck up the ice and shoot it past the opposing goalie.  

It is important to play your position. If everyone did then this world would be a better place.  We need to know what our role is.  What responsibilities are associated with our position and then seek opportunities to play that position. 

If you find yourself unsatisfied and discontent you need to start talking to God about your desires and dreams.   Desires are not meant to frustrate us.  They are meant to motivate us to seek the Lord.  The Bible says that God knows the plans that He has for you.  Plans to give you a hope and a future. Plans to prosper you.  God will coach us in a way that our lives will yield maximum results for His glory and honor, if we let Him.

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