Bowling
July 2022
For my birthday two weeks ago, my family and I went bowling. It had been a very long time since we had done this. Have you ever gone bowling? Are you any good? Because I am not.
Bowling is a sport where you roll a several pound ball down a 60-foot lane to knock down ten pins, a simple concept that seems very easy. On the contrary, it is actually quite challenging because the ball does not go perfectly straight and on either side of the lane there are massive gutters. If the ball goes in the gutters, it is impossible for it to get out, thereby preventing you from knocking down the pins.
Gutters in Life
Now imagine that the 60-foot lane represents our time here on earth. The ball represents our life. The gutters represent the sin in our life and all of our short comings. In the actual sport there are good bowlers that do not need to think twice about the gutters. However, we all know in real life there is no such thing as “good” people because “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 NASB
The Only Solution
Due to the fall of man, we are born into sin. Our life begins in the gutters, and there is nothing WE can do about it. Notice the bowling ball when it is in the gutter … it doesn’t stop there but continues to go all the way down the lane. There is nothing it can do by itself to get out. We may go on in life pretending we can do everything on our own, by our own strength, and that we don’t need to be saved. We could not be more wrong. I believe God allows the experiences we face in our day-to-day life to prove and convict us that we cannot do it on our own … there is absolutely nothing WE can do to save ourselves.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23 NASB
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one should boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 NASB
Only Christ can pull us from the gutters. Once we are out, with the help of the Holy Spirit that resides in us, we must follow Christ so that in our day-to-day life we do not fall. The trials and experiences in our life only further prove how much we really need Him. We must depend on Him, unconditionally trusting and following Him even after salvation.
A New Beginning
After accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and Him pulling us out of that gutter, we cannot anticipate our life here on earth is going to forever be blue skies and tailwinds. This is just the beginning of a new journey, a new walk with the Lord. We rely on Him for strength to follow Him.
“I can do all things through Him [Christ] who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:13 NASB
“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
Psalm 18:2 NASB
“The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.”
Psalm 118:14 NASB
We must continually follow Him and His will every hour. The hymn writer Annie Hawks captures this well:
I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee; every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior! I come to Thee.
I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.
I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.
I need Thee every hour, teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.
As we go on living, let us live for the Lord. For we must remember that everything we have is a gift from God, even the very air we breathe and, most importantly, His free gift of eternal life!
This article was written by Jake Joseph, General Director of FCAP. Jake is also a pilot with a major U.S. carrier.
