By Staff Writer, Matt Osborne Houston Texans rookie quarterback, C.J. Stroud, had a rough go of things in his first preseason contest Thursday evening. Facing constant pressure from a stout New England defense, Stroud looked understandably flustered in his short appearance, completing two of his four attempts for 17 yards, one interception, and a QBR of 17.7. As Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated notes in his article breaking down Stroud's preseason debut, the young signal caller seemed to be struggling with hesitancy in his decision-making against the Patriots. Orr writes, “Anecdotally, every time he dropped back, there seemed to be a bit of a tug-of-war between the decision his brain wanted to make and the corresponding motion executed by his body. Even on his first pass, a completion to Nico Collins just in front of the Patriots’ sideline, there was a (relative) eternity between the moment Collins flashed open and could have been thrown open while his defender (Gonzalez) had his back turned, and the time when Stroud released the ball.” Orr adds, “On the interception by Mills a few plays later, we saw the same thing. A broader view of the field showed what looked like the moment Stroud wanted to pull the trigger and, indeed, there was a large swath of throwable space he could have led receiver Tank Dell into. Instead, he paused long enough for Mills to jump the route.” In the NFL, there's such a small window available in which quarterbacks have a legitimate opportunity to complete a pass and lead their offense to success. Receivers break open in an instant and are covered again seemingly just as quickly. For a quarterback to have success at the highest level, they can't afford to fail to “pull the trigger” when a player springs open. Thankfully for Stroud, he's not the first player to struggle in his first live-action against professional talent. Ultimately, four passing attempts aren't nearly enough for us to make any sort of definitive determination about his future prospects as a starter. As he continues to get adjusted to life in the NFL, he should have every opportunity to emerge as a quality player. But when it comes to our lives as followers of Jesus, it's even more important that we learn to “pull the trigger” whenever we're presented with opportunities to serve other people in the name of Christ. Proverbs 3:27-28 (ESV) says, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it’—when you have it with you.” When we neglect to act promptly with opportunities that are presented to serve or encourage others, all too often we look back at the situation to see that the “window” has closed. This has been the case far too often in my own life. I can’t help but be reminded of the numerous times I've thought about sharing a kind word, giving a generous donation or gift, or helping to serve someone in a meaningful way, but ultimately failed to do so because I didn't “pull the trigger” when the thought entered my mind. We need to recognize that we don't have an unlimited amount of time to serve the people around us for the glory of God. If we aren’t intentional to “pull the trigger” on the opportunities we have to serve well for God’s glory now, we'll miss out on the blessing we have to be a blessing to others. Ephesians 5:15-16 (ESV) says, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time because the days are evil.” James 4:17 (NASB) even gives this strong message about "not pulling the trigger" when we know what is right: “So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.” When it comes to your own lives, what opportunities to serve have we been putting off that need to be addressed now? Some of us may need to spend more time with our family and be more intentional in teaching our children about following Jesus. For others, it might be speaking kind words to a friend or loved one, contributing money to further the spread of the gospel, or getting involved with a particular ministry at church. Today, let’s spend some time in prayer and reflection, asking the Lord to help us recognize the opportunities that are currently in front of us. Let's also ask for His grace and strength to empower us to respond promptly to His leading so we might glorify Him through the way we love and serve others. I’m Matt Osborne and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please forgive me for the times I've failed to do the right thing. Please help me see the opportunities I have to serve others and give me strength to serve well for Your glory. Thank you for Your grace as I walk this journey with You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PACKS:
1. Why do you think you have a tendency to delay doing things that you know are good and right?
2. What are some opportunities you have to serve others that you need to "pull the trigger" on?
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