For the Love of the Game

Related Scripture:

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

 Psalm 51:12

Everyone experiences times in their life where they feel like they’re in a rut -- daily routines seem monotonous; they’re spinning their wheels and going nowhere.   Many officials experience the same when it comes to their officiating career.  They feel stuck, they get the same level of games over and over, they miss out on playoffs, or they’re passed over for a championship.  They’re tired of dealing with coaches, players, and fans.  For whatever reason, officiating is no longer fun.

As Christians, we need to remember there is a fool proof way to navigate ALL the ruts and that is to routinely focus on our sole purpose in life – to live each day to glorify God.  Fulfilling this purpose is more manageable when we turn away from our earthly desires and instead turn to God’s promises of eternity in Heaven. 

In the meantime, here is an exercise to try if you are in an officiating rut.  Go back and reflect as vividly as you can on the day you donned the stripes and hit the field for the first time.  Remember the nervous excitement?  You couldn’t wait for your next game.  You may have thought to yourself – I would do this for free.  I continue to remind myself, after 25 years officiating football, that I have the best seat in the house to “watch” a football game, and I make a little spending money too. You can’t beat that.  Maybe working with a brand-new official will help relight the fire in you and help you recall why you got into officiating in the first place -- “For the Love of the Game.”

Questions to Ponder:

Are you in an officiating rut?  If so, what will you do about it in a way that glorifies God?

“BIG” Mike Gammons - FCO Founder - Thomasville, GA