It’s that time of the year again. We call it “March Madness.” It’s the time when all the conference tourneys end and we head into the “The Big Dance!” Some of the teams play a “zone” some “man to man.” Others work the “triangle” and some use a “modified Stanford.” You’ve got your “pick and go,” “give and go,” “screens from just inside the arc,” to the over the top “alley-oop.”

If a person who had no experience with basketball was reading this article they would simply assume I was drinking something very strong or had lost it all together. Have you ever thought what it must be like to use a language that is totally foreign to the people with whom you are talking? I don’t want anyone to mis-read what I am trying to say, but I think there are times when we as Christians are using a language that is foreign to those who are non-Christians. We are very clear on the matter of making disciples. We have been sent out to make disciples of all peoples in the name of Jesus Christ. What we struggle with is how to do what we have been sent to do. All too often Christians receive a bad wrap when a few of our brothers and sisters use the “I’ll slap you in the face” approach to making disciples. You know, the people who come and describe how bad your are and how good you’ll feel if you only change everything about your life and become like the ones who are trying to convert you; the ones who tell you, “if you’ll just give your life to Christ all your troubles will fade away.”

I personally have not experienced this victory of the Christian life. While striving to be Christ-like and living out this wonderful journey that Christ is guiding I have often found the road to be treacherous and difficult. Sometimes the road is downright dangerous and scary. There have been times in my life when I have recalled the way the disciples died and have questioned whether or not this is the road I want to continue walking. I find no guarantees in the scripture that tell me my life will be free of all difficulties and challenges if I will only call on the name of the Lord. I do, however, find the scripture that says, “nothing can separate me from the love of Christ.” I find this telling me that I will never be left alone in the challenges and difficulties of this life. I find this telling me I am loved. I find this telling me that there is nothing that I can’t make it through with my Savior at my side.

We may never have all the right words to say. Moses didn’t know what he was going to say when he reached Egypt. We may never be able to skillfully and artistically overcome all obstacles of objection with our great wisdom and scriptural knowledge. Solomon prayed to God in 2 Chronicles to give him what it would take to rule the kingdom because he felt totally inadequate for the task at hand. However we do have one thing that speaks volumes to those who are searching for the answers to life’s questions. We have the love of Christ in our heart that provides a sense of peace. We carry an assurance which goes before us saying that whatever we endure, we will share eternity with a loving Savior. If we walked daily with a sense of assurance and peace, Christ would bring those who are in need to us for comfort. Making disciples is more about living out our journey with the assurances of salvation, than it is about telling you all I know about Christ. Jesus explained this very bluntly as he wrote in the sand and said, “those of you without sin cast the first stone” and followed that by telling the woman, “go and sin no more.” In this time of March Madness, we should be less concerned with having all the “lingo” and more concerned with the outcome. Time is ticking down!

On the journey together…
Kirk