Roping Religion: Remember what is ahead

Many of the ideas and scriptures for this article are from the devotional "God Wants You To Win!" by world-champion calf roper Jeff Copenhaver.

Philippians 3:13-14 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

In Jeff's story about overcoming humiliation he told how he was competing in several rodeos all at about the same time so he didn't have his horse Streak with him when he was in Dallas. On a borrowed horse he roped his calf quickly but he slipped out of the stirrup and hit the ground with a belly flop before he flanked and tied his calf. He didn't win anything and was humiliated in front of the rodeo crowd. Jeff then flew to Portland that night and won both go-rounds on Streak as well as the average. He went from experiencing the lowest low to the highest high.

I certainly don't like being humiliated. In the past I have shared about the humiliation I experienced when I had a kidney stone. If we humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord then He will lift us up.

Paul was one who was stoned, beaten, whipped, shipwrecked and misunderstood yet he encourages us to forget the past and look forward to what lies ahead. Paul wants us to reach the end of our race and receive the prize God has for us. We ought not to falter in times of difficulty. In order to finish well we need to stay in the race and not quit when we encounter adversity. Often God uses trials in our lives to test us and help us find out the condition of our hearts. We get the opportunity to become bitter or better when we fail, get humiliated, experience loss, or encounter circumstances that don't work out the way that we had hoped.

God is still on the throne. He wants us to pass the test. If we are faithful in little then more is given. Our challenge is to allow the Holy Spirit to rule in our hearts rather than self-pity or depression. God still has a good plan for each of our lives and for our city. We need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for the prosperity of Havre. When God's people were carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon He instructed them to build houses and settle down. He told them to plant gardens and eat what they produce. God told His people to marry and have sons and daughters. He wanted the people to increase in number and to seek the peace and prosperity of the city because if it prospered, they would prosper.

We are called to be kingdom people. Our citizenship is in heaven. While on this earth we are ambassadors of the King. We need to get over our insecurities and speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. We ought to defend the rights of the poor and needy and act like the good Samaritan who had mercy on the man who fell into the hands of robbers. As we share our food with the hungry and clothe the naked, we are following our Father's instructions. We learn how to love with actions.

By the power of the Holy Spirit we can speak the truth in love while we act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly. The competition between good and evil continues in our world. We should be those who do the next right thing. Let's be those who finish our race under the unction of the Holy Ghost in order that we may one day hear our Lord say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

May God bless you big.

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This is the 27th in a 30-column series of Roping Religion columns by Kevin Barsotti, pastor of Ark Church in Havre.