Picked for the Team

If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.(Romans 11:17-21)

I can recall being on the basketball court at a young age, much younger than my brother's friends, yet still wanting to be picked for the game. Many times I would not get picked and would have to wait for the next game. But there were the times when I would get picked (evn if it was the last pick). I felt like I belonged with these older boys and eventually they would discover that I wasn' too bad for a kid of 13 or 14! Each week I would practice to make the cut for the Saturday games.This experience allowed me to improve my skills and gain valuable playing experience from these older guys. Well, like those days on the outdoor courts in Baltimore, Jesus has given us Gentiles a chance to be picked for the team! Though we are not the older guys on the court, he is standing in the middle and pointing a finger at you and me, asking us to join His team. Though we do not qualify as mambers of the Jewish Nation, we are picked to be on His team. The question is will we respond? Are we prepared? Once picked for the team, will we work for the team goals and give it our all to please the team's leader? Will it be enough just to be on the team . . . at the end of the bench, or do we desire to be a significant player in the game? It is not enough just to be picked for the team . . . Jesus calls us to be a game changer . . .to play a role in His game plan for this world! Just as He invited us to be on His team, we must know play in such a way that causes others to have a desire to come off the sideline and get into the game. Picked for the team . . . God's team . . . a game already won but yet still time to play!