Securing the Future

The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft took place Thursday night in Detroit, and, as is usually the case, it was filled with surprises. The biggest surprise from the first round undoubtedly came with the Atlanta Falcons at No. 8. Considering that the franchise signed veteran quarterback, Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract this offseason, nobody gave serious consideration to the thought that the Falcons might take a signal caller in the first round. But despite their recent move to bring in a proven commodity under center, the Falcons stunned the football world by selecting Washington signal caller, Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8. It wasn't only a surprise considering the Falcons just signed Cousins to a four-year deal, but also because of how most draft experts ranked Penix Jr. They had a second-round grade on him, so it was baffling to many fans and analysts that he was the QB taken before Michigan's J.J. McCarthy and Oregon’s Bo Nix. Despite the negative reaction by many to Atlanta’s decision to take Penix when they did, the organization demonstrated that they value investing in the future by having a young quarterback sit and learn under a mature veteran who has had a productive career. As shocking as Atlanta’s decision might be, there is no denying that Michael Penix Jr. will benefit greatly from being discipled by a quarterback like Kirk Cousins. The Falcons are counting on Cousins to pour into Penix Jr. and help him develop as the team hopes to be in good shape at the quarterback position for many years to come. Throughout the Bible, we see that God is very serious about preparing for the future by having the mature people on His “team” disciple those believers who are younger and less experienced. Psalm 78:5-7 (NIV) says, “He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which He commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget His deeds but would keep His commands.” God’s design has always been that mature believers intentionally dedicate time and energy to teaching and discipling younger and less experienced believers so that each proceeding generation would serve and honor Him. Within families, parents have been given the God-ordained task of teaching their children to follow His commands. Scripture makes it very clear that failure on the part of the parents in training their children will result in future generations rebelling against the Lord, causing significant damage to His “team,” the church. But this principle doesn't apply to parents alone. All mature believers have been called to disciple less experienced believers and prepare them to function within the body of Christ. This concept is seen in 2 Timothy 2:2 (ESV), where the Apostle Paul gives instructions to his disciple, Timothy, about teachers within the church: “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”  Paul was teaching Timothy so that Timothy would be prepared to teach what he had learned to other faithful men. The goal was to become a continuous chain of mature Christian leaders training others to become mature Christian leaders. For the church to function at its highest level, mature believers must intentionally train the younger generation to follow and serve the Lord properly. Today, let’s ensure we are doing our part in preparing for the church's future. Let’s continue on our journey of growing in our faith while training and discipling younger and less experienced believers. I’m Matt Osborne, and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for the people who have poured into my life to help me grow in my faith. Please help me see the people You put in my path to disciple, and act with great wisdom as I teach them to follow You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.