Moving On From Missed Kicks

One of the best kickers in the NFL is the Patriots’ Stephen Gostkowski. However, in the playoffs against the Broncos, he missed his first extra point since his rookie season in 2006. The Patriots lost 20-18 and his miss definitely played a role in the loss.  Gostkowski recently shared his thoughts with ESPN Boston: “I’ve always been hard on myself whenever I have a bad game, especially when we lose. But I’ve never once hung my head down. You have to have a short memory in this game, but I’m always hard on myself for a couple of days, even when we win and I have a miskick. It’s a perfectionist’s job — you strive for perfection. "I expect to make every kick, and when I don’t, it’s very frustrating. I probably practice tens of thousands of kicks for everyone I’ve tried in a game, and when it doesn’t go your way, it can be hard to deal with. But I’ve always been good at getting over things and not sulking and letting it mount into one bad kick after the next. I came back and made my next two kicks in the game.” Wow, it’s fascinating to hear what a kicker goes through after a miss! I find his comments very relatable to you and I having a desire to pursue holiness and obedience. If we are following Jesus, then we should want to strive to do His will and abide by His commands. Unfortunately, we recognize as Gostkowski does, that we are going to miss the mark sometimes. When we make a mistake or slip up in some way, the Bible says in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Thanks to Jesus, once we confess, then we can move on and continue our pursuit of pleasing God. Like Gostkowski, we shouldn’t want to miss, but when we do it’s important not to let it mount into one sin after the next. We should feel the sting of letting God down, but then receive His grace...move on as forgiven...and keep striving. I’m Bryce Johnson and you can unpack that!