Hands Up!

 August 21, 2021

Sometimes, all you have to do is open your mouth. After all, In Psalm 81:10, God says, “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” A couple days ago, I posted about developing an apprentice-based men’s ministry. It’s been on my mind for years, but I haven’t the foggiest notion of how to go about it. Since then, I’ve had numerous people prodding me into action, one of which is a publisher, and the other a connection with someone who seems to be doing something similar. 

I opened my mouth, so I’m expecting God is going to fill it with more than my usual befuddlement. It has often puzzled me how Islam has no trouble recruiting men eager to stand at the front of the line for their religion, and by contrast, how hard it is to get Christian men to lead their families in matters of faith. I suspect there is a blockage here that goes far deeper than we imagine. The enemy of our souls knows that when men step up, the battle for the soul of a family, a community, and a nation takes on a new urgency, so he will throw up every roadblock imaginable to keep us on the sidelines. Sadly, that’s where most of us are.

Someone once described American Christianity as “11,000 men in the stands, desperately in need of exercise, watching 11 men on the field, desperately in need of rest.” Watching someone else scoring the goal only satisfies for a moment. Most of us secretly see ourselves crossing the finish line, arms high in victory, or kicking the game-winning field goal, or stopping the advance of the other side. It’s time we got out of the stands and onto the field.

Some years ago at a local sports hall of fame dinner, Kyle Petty was the featured speaker. It was a special time for our family, as Linda’s father raced early NASCAR against Kyle’s grandfather Lee. The two of them sat together on the dais, and afterward, Kyle told us it was like talking with his grandpa again, as Lloyd told some of the same stories Kyle had heard growing up.

The highlight of the evening however, was Kyle’s presentation of Victory Junction, a camp for kids with sever chronic, but not necessarily life-threatening illness. These are kids who never get to do the things other kids take for granted. They have a complete medical facility staffed by doctors and nurses, and give these kids and their families a week where they can do the stuff other kids do all the time…all without charge. This camp is heavily sponsored by NASCAR, and Kyle’s son Adam was deeply committed to it before he was tragically killed in a racing accident. Kyle and his wife picked up the banner, and it has been the most rewarding thing he’s ever done. 

At the end of his talk, Kyle told us, “All I did was raise my hand.” When God opens a door and offers an opportunity, all we have to do is raise our hand. We don’t have to know the road ahead; we don’t need special training. We might feel overwhelmed and even scared, but it’s OK; if God is opening the door, he knows what’s on the other side, and won’t abandon us. We are living in perilous times; it’s high time we got serious about our mission. The days of sitting around a table with Bibles in our laps may be waning, but the need for men who know their calling, know their Bibles, and know their God has never been greater. I’m not sure how to proceed, but the door has been opened, and my hand is in the air.