Back to the Basics

The basketball team had one of their best years and had qualified for the playoffs.  The team was well balanced with talented players who were successfully scoring when driving for the basket, as well as the long shot, 3 point shooters.

It was late in the game and the opposing team, though ranked quite lower, had done a great job of making the score close, and it could go either way.  In fact, with only a little over a minute left, the score was tied. 

The coach of the higher ranked team called a time-out.  What he said to his players was true for that game, and true for a lot of us in the game of life.  He began with asking his team a question, "Why are you making things so complex, when in reality, they should be much easier?  We have been successful with our game plan of playing the basics of basketball, but tonight you have made it difficult to control the game because everyone is trying to make the trick shots and the 3 point long shots.  We have made some but we have missed a lot of those shots, and our opponent has tied the game.  Each of you needs to return to the basic strategy, basic shooting, and basic rebounds.  We can win, if we keep it simple and play the basics."

You are probably getting ahead of me but you must agree that many of the problems we face in our churches today is because we have forgotten the basics.  We may have started in the right way, with the elementary things.  Often times, when we grow a little we forget the basics which have been a foundation upon which we should build.  If the foundation disappears, no amount of building and growing will succeed.  Then we wonder why.  Next, we start the blame game.

I point you to the question of Jesus when he asked, "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do the things I say?"  It's also interesting to look at the things he said over and over, telling his audience that even a child could understand.  Add to that his statement about us becoming more like children because that kind of heart will inherit the kingdom of God.

All the while we wrestle with the most important commandments of loving God and loving each other, because so much of the way we treat each other in the church and in the world is less than Christian.  It's like the news report this week of the church that had white Christmas lights on the steeple of the church building for years. The new preacher moved to town that year and at Christmas time, he decorated his house, next door to the church, with red and green lights. Committees were meeting, secrets votes were being taken, plans were made to send the preacher on down the road.  It was during that time, the gospel was not being shared, sick were not being visited, the needs of the poor were not addressed.  All because the basics were forgotten and the members of the church found themselves in the far country arguing over things that were not relevant.

The angel announcing the birth of Jesus proclaimed a basic truth when "Peace on earth, good will to men" was introduced. That is a foundation upon which we can build and be more successful in accomplishing God's plan for us.  All men will know we are His disciples, if we show them we love each other.

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