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BENCHED

When I played a fair amount of sports there was nothing better (aside from winning) than being on the starting rotation. If you couldn't be a starter in a particular season, you at least wanted to be on the list of folks that would come off the bench. If you knew you weren't good enough to start or get in the game - you could still learn a lot by growing, maturing, and learning from the bench.

The worst spot to be in was being a starter or rotational player and then getting benched for either not following coach's orders repeatedly enough or for your off-the-court/field antics.

Having tasted the game and then it being taken from you because of your inability to follow instructions or flawed character is a horrible feeling.

MATTHEW 5:13C

Jesus gives us a similar idea in Matthew 5:13c, "13 [If you lose your saltiness, you are] no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."

Jesus makes a note that:

  1. We are invited to be the salt of the earth
  2. We are tasked with guarding our salt/staying salty
  3. If we lose that salty edge - we get thrown out, trampled, sidelined, and benched

DON'T GET SIDELINED

The sports analogy holds. Few things are worse than living on the edge of the life God has invited us into, experiencing that abundant life, having a front-row seat to God moving, using us, changing lives, etc., and then losing that edge because of our own pride.

We stop praying.

We stop worshipping.

We stop guarding margin in our life.

As a result, we withdraw our hospitality, become more stingy, and stop offering and sharing our friends.

When we do this, we self-select our of staying salty and get benched.

Being benched is the worst.