Missed Calls!

Related Scripture:

“We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.  For everyone has sinned, we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.  Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.”

Romans 3:22-24

Have you ever made a call or a non-call that you would like to take back because it was incorrect?  I have dealt with some officials in the past who would answer “NO” to that question, but most of us will have to admit reluctantly that we have made some mistakes in our officiating.  What was the reason for the “missed call?”  Was it a lapse in rules knowledge?  Was it a failure to get to the right spot to make the correct call?  Was it just faulty judgment at that moment?  Perhaps it was a combination of those things.  The games you officiate and the way you officiate them are a microcosm of your life and the way you live it.  Spiritually speaking, “missed calls” are sins, and the Apostle Paul wrote about that in Romans 3:22-24.  We need to think about what causes our sins.  Is it a failure to know and follow God’s standards that are set forth in Scripture?  Is it due to not being in the right situations to live the way God wants you to live?  It is due to faulty judgment about applying God’s word to your life?  It may be a combination of those things.

Until the world of video review came into officiating, there was little that could be done to overturn missed calls.  Isn’t it encouraging to know that God provides a way to help us deal with our spiritual “missed calls.”  God’s mercy and grace that were demonstrated through Christ’s sacrifice cleanses us and frees us from the penalty of our shortcomings.  How did you go on after you realized you missed a called as an official?  Effective officials work harder on the area they recognize to be a deficiency.  Other officials might go into the world of denial about making a mistake, or just blow it off by saying, “we are just human.”  After we receive God’s grace in our spiritual lives, how do we proceed?  Spiritually mature Christians will try to live so that mistake doesn’t continue to be a problem.  Even when we have difficulty avoiding those sins, God has promised to continue giving grace to those who truly repent.

Questions to Ponder:

1- Am I trying to be more effective in my officiating, and more faithful in my spiritual life?

2- Am I being honest with myself about my officiating and spiritual weaknesses?

Ralph Swearngin - (Former GHSA Executive Director and Current FCO Advisory Committee Member)