During this current offseason, there's been excitement and hope surrounding the University of Colorado’s football team following a 5-7 season under first-year head coach, Mel Tucker.
With a strong 2020 recruiting class ranked 35th nationally, there has been great optimism for the Buffaloes. Even though their coach, Mel Tucker, was considered a candidate last week for the recently vacated head coaching job at Michigan State, he affirmed he wasn’t going anywhere.
On February 8th he tweeted out, “While I am flattered to be considered for the HC job @MSU_football, I am committed to @CUBuffsFootball for #TheBuild of our program, its great athletes, coaches & supporters. #UnfinishedBusiness #GoBuffs We are #Relentless #Culture #TheBuild”
Surprisingly, Tucker quickly changed his mind and just 14 months after starting his job at Colorado, he decided to leave after all. Tucker was introduced as Michigan State's new head coach during a press conference yesterday.
Michigan State offered him more money and convinced him to take over a proven program that plays in the Big Ten Conference. They enticed him enough and on one hand, you can't fault him for the decision, but there's no denying he didn’t keep his commitment to Colorado and showed no loyalty to the players he recruited.
This situation isn’t uncommon in sports, as we see coaches being fired or leaving for other jobs and players changing teams because of free agency, trades, and transfers. It's an overall system that doesn’t always value commitment and loyalty.
As fans, we understand and accept it because oftentimes the lack of commitment benefits our favorite team. But we also see the other side of it as Colorado now has to pick up the pieces of their head coach walking out on them.
Unfortunately, in our own lives, we struggle with full commitment as well. How many times have we changed our mind because a better option came along…or bailed on a good cause when it was time to come through with our time and money…or said we’d be at our child’s baseball game, but didn’t show up?
Are we willing to stay committed to lifelong marriage and...remain loyal in our friendships...follow through with promises to our business partners...and develop deep church and community roots for our family?
Similar concerns can also be raised about our faith. When we say we are committing our lives to Jesus, we commit to following His way and living differently.
Although that should be a big deal, sinful opportunities can entice us and we can easily waver when selfish desires pop up and we don’t “feel” like following Jesus.
The challenge each day is to remain fully committed to His Word and His way. The Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 2:15 (ESV), “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the Word of Truth.”
Also, Deuteronomy 23:23 (MSG) tells us, “If you say you’re going to do something, do it. Keep the vow you willingly vowed to God, Your God. You promised it, so do it.”
Even when we blow it, God is still committed to us because of His grace. But in view of His great love and faithfulness, let’s be encouraged to take our own commitments seriously. Let’s be determined to remain loyal and fully committed in all areas of our lives.
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, forgive me for the areas of my life where I’ve lacked commitment. Please help me to do what I say I’m going to do. Give me the strength to be a fully committed follower of Jesus and to be loyal to the people in my life. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.Discussion Questions for PACKS:
What is something you’ve had a tough time committing to?
What causes your loyalty to Jesus to be put to the test the most?
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