Something More Important

It was Homecoming for the area high school.  The home football team was excited about playing a game to a larger-than-usual home crowd.  Many former students had returned to renew old acquaintances and to check out the well-being of the  school.  Several in the stands were dressed more nicely than usual; they composed the Homecoming Court which was to be recognized at halftime.  Because it was Homecoming, there seemed to me to be a bit more excitement in the air.

As I was watching the football game, I heard an ambulance siren.  I scanned the field, but I didn’t see any injured football players.  I looked to my right and just beyond the fence outlining the field, two men were carrying someone from the visitors’ side in the direction of the ambulance.  From where I stood, it did not appear to be one of the visiting football players.  I wondered if it was one of the visiting fans that needed medical attention.

Suddenly the game stopped.  The cheerleaders stopped cheering.  The band was silent.  Even the fans in the stands grew quiet.  Football players on both teams motioned for their respective coaches and teammates to come out onto the field.  Then each of the football players knelt on one knee and one of the visiting coaches prayed for the person who had been taken to the hospital.  The one who had been carried off the field to the ambulance was the visiting head coach!

Despite the excitement of the football game, the sounds of cheering and music playing, the buzz of conversation in the stands among fans and friends, it all stopped for a few moments.  It stopped because there was something more important: a beloved coach had grown very ill.  Opponents became teammates and strangers became friends as they all united in prayer for someone in need.  Indeed, as Eric Gray commented concerning these events: “Some things are just more important.”

Some things are more important than who wins the game, who is crowned Homecoming queen, and how well the band performs.  Some things are more important than which school you attend, what kind of car that you drive, and where you live.  Some things are more important than what kind of career you are pursuing, the size of your family, and how much money you have in the bank.  Some things are just more important.

THE most important thing in EACH of our lives is our relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.  Without Christ we are doomed because of our sins.  But because of Christ, we can be saved from sin and live eternally with Him in heaven!

Because of His great love for us, God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.  He died so that we might live.  He paid the price for our sins so that we might have forgiveness.  He gave His life so that we might have the abundant life now (John 10:10) and eternal life to come (John 3:16).

Through Christ, we may have forgiveness and eternal life when we: place our faith and trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31) confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ (Acts 2:38).  Then, as we walk in the light of His Word, the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

Eric Gray wrote: “Really, we could sum it up like this: your relationship with Christ is always more important.  More important than what?

Than anything!”

Have YOU established that saving relationship with God through Jesus through your trusting obedience?

Won’t you?

— Eric Gray and David A. Sargent