I woke up today with the news that one of my favorite NFL players, Christian McCaffrey, was traded from my hometown team, the Carolina Panthers, to the San Francisco 49ers. He’s one of the best running backs in the league and one of the most talented players to ever put on a Panthers uniform, so this move is hard to initially embrace. This trade signals that the 2022 Panthers season is basically over as they couldn’t win with him and there's a slim chance they'll win without him. That means as Panthers fans, we're in store for more suffering and challenging days ahead. We’ve said goodbye to a superstar running back and it’s troubling to think how bad things might get in Charlotte. However, as hard as it is to trade away CMC, face another losing season, and have to wait for the future, that’s only part of the story. The Panthers now have four upcoming draft picks since the 49ers traded them a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th rounder. The Panthers face a setback with the loss of McCaffrey, but it’s only temporary because, in the long run, those picks give the Panthers hope and a future. Also, since the Panthers will most likely be losing more games this season, their own original draft picks will be more valuable at next year’s NFL Draft. As fans, we don’t like to watch our favorite teams lose and go through seasons of despair, but if going through it means our team will deliver a winning team in the future, then we cling to that hope. There are no guarantees that this Panthers trade and all of the losses will result in a Super Bowl win one day, but if I knew that would be true, it’d be much easier to embrace the current situation. It’d be nice to know that the pain is only temporary and that at the end of it, winning is in store. Sports don’t always deliver on this promise, but thankfully our loving God does. Many of us today woke up to a much worse situation than our favorite running back being traded and we find ourselves in the middle of pain, suffering, and disappointment. Initially, everything appears bleak, and as hard as it is to face another losing season and have to wait for the future, that’s only part of the story. We can be encouraged that as followers of Jesus there is hope, wonderful things are in store, and winning happens in the end. This is a guarantee! The setbacks we're facing now are temporary and we can trust that persevering through them will be worth it in the long run. Paul writes in Romans 8:18 (AMP), “For I consider that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us!” He also writes in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (AMP), “For our momentary, light distress is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure ! "So we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal , but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable.” Panthers fans have to look beyond what we currently see on the field, knowing that “invisible” draft picks await. As followers of Jesus, we look beyond our current circumstances knowing that eternal life, glory, victory, and splendor await us. God is using our current challenges to refine, transform, and prepare us for what He has in store for this life and the next. So today, let’s find our hope in Him and His promises as we trust that “These troubles and sufferings of ours are, after all, quite small and won’t last very long. Yet this short time of distress will result in God’s richest blessing upon us forever and ever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17; TLB). I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I don’t like that I have to go through difficulties, but I trust that my momentary and temporary struggles are worth it when compared to the eternal weight of glory that is being produced. I place my hope and trust in You and know that life and victory are found in Jesus. It’s in His name I pray, Amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PACKS:
1. What setback are you currently facing?
2. How does your perspective on challenges change when you compare it to the future and eternity with God?
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