Tanking the Lord

I'm not sure you're aware, but the Olympics have been going on. I've watched a few things, some volleyball here and there, some swimming on occasion, a horse jumping the London Bridge -- which didn't fall down, by the way.

But I've been most intrigued by what a few athletes have done, some of whom have been sent home because of it. They have tanked. They have not given their "all." Heck, they've not given their some. They didn't try, ostensibly to get a better draw in the next round.

I guess when they weren't sweating at all, it was a dead giveaway of the dead men walking instead of running or women badminton players or whatever.

Contemplating how one doesn't try after spending perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars to get to London in the first place, I got to thinking (as my readers know, a dangerous thing), what if the church was conducted in the same manner as the Olympics? What if people were kicked out of the church if they weren't trying as hard as they could?

First, who would decide? What would it look like, this not trying? Would they be not trying so they could get a favorable seating at the next level? I'm pretty sure that wouldn't work.

I think you could easily decide if someone was doing all they could to win in a few ways.

First, if they're not tithing, they taking. It's not all about the money, but that is one way of worshiping.

Second, if they're not volunteering somewhere, anywhere, they're not trying.

Third, if they sit as if they're some sort of iceberg that has broken free from the large frozen chosen, they're not into worship.

Finally, if they have no interest in inviting, praying for, being concerned for the lost, the least, the disenfranchised, the unloved or just the neighbor they're not been loving, they're candidates to be sent home.

London Bridge is indeed falling, we have the answer to bulk it up, and yet we do nothing. Perhaps we should all be sent home. But I fear home is the one place we truly, truly won't get to if we don't understand the great edict to love as we love, judge as we will be judged.

By professing Jesus as our Savior with our mouths and believing in our hearts that He was risen from the dead, we will be saved, Paul told us. That's making the team. But after that, the games truly begin. Oh, for a group, a big, big group, that would give their best every day for that same Savior.

Talk about gold medals. We could tank our Lord every day.