John 15:2 (NIV)
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
Colossians 3:7-10 (NIV)
You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
Philippians 1:4-6 (NIV)
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
One of my all-time favorite movies is Napoleon Dynamite. The dry awkward humor makes me laugh out loud every time I see it. In the movie, Napoleon’s Uncle Rico is a middle-aged guy that lives out of a 1970’s orange van. Uncle Rico loves steak and dreams about his past glory days as a football player. He is stuck in this loop of wondering what his life would have been if his football coach would have played him as the quarterback at the state championship. What if he could have won the game and won state? Even after 30 years, he still dreams of how much better his life would be if only he would have played. So much so that he buys a gimmick time machine off of E-Bay that, spoiler alert, doesn't work.
This sounds absurd, right? You and I would never live like this guy! Yet, a few weeks into the season, some of us not named Mark Garza wondered,“What if I would have paid top dollar and picked up Josh Allen in our draft?” “What if I had picked up Zay Jones off the waiver wire week one and his 24 points had led me to victory past week?”
If we are good fantasy football managers, we don’t look back at past failures or successes; we just keep developing our team until the completion of the season. We cut players, seek out trades and pick up new players on the waiver wire. We keep moving forward each week trying to put together the best team possible. How much more will our good God continue to work in you, pruning away things that don't bear fruit in your life, trading out your old sinful life for new self, and renewing you by picking up knowledge through daily Bible study and weekly worship.
Don’t be an Uncle Rico. Living in the past, letting your past woes and what if’s define you. Instead rid yourselves of the old self and put on the new self; be renewed by the creator. Let us look forward and follow the One who began a good work in us because He is faithful and just to complete His good work in us until the day of Christ Jesus
Steve Urbina is the manager of the “Uncle Rico’s Revenge” Fantasy Football Team. A former FBCW Fantasy League Super Bowl Champion, Steve doesn’t rest on the success of the past but continues being faithful and just to complete each and every fantasy football season. That, and he really wants to win it all again!
