CLEOEJACKSONIII.COM
  • My Home Page
  • My Life and Ministry
  • My Ongoing Thoughts
  • My Favorite Bible Verses
  • My Favorite Stories
  • My Favorite Jokes
  • My Favorite Quotations
  • My Favorite Web Links
  • My Contact Info
"Helping Others Communicate"

SMALL SACRIFICES

7/18/2020

 
This past week, the news carried a story about prominent NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has now signed a record-breaking 10-year contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs.  It is worth an eye-popping $503 million!

Precious few people in this world will get the chance to ink a deal with a half a billion dollars!  And yet, while this one step will present Mahomes with innumerable opportunities in life, it also calls for him to give up certain activities.  So much so that the average everyday person will be able to undertake several fun activities his contract with the Chiefs now prohibits him from doing.

According to Mahomes, “I still don’t think I’m allowed to play basketball. I’m sure baseball is not going to be allowed as well.  I know there’s a lot of them. They have like (sic) everything from jet skiing too, I don’t know what all the things are. I read a lot of them. It’s pretty much every physical activity you could possibly do. I’ll probably be sticking with football and video games for now.” 

The details of the contract state that the quarterback gets $477 million in guaranteed mechanisms, plus the ability to opt-out at several points in the deal if his mechanisms aren’t exercised.  He also has a no-trade clause.

Mahomes had two years remaining on his existing contract with the Chiefs; so the new 10-year deal doesn’t take effect until 2022. He will still be 36 when his contract expires.

The article also goes on comment on all the congratulations he has and is receiving from famous people all over the world.  While I do not count myself among the latter, I would add my voice of congratulations to the chorus.  He seems to be a fine young man; and I wish him the very best.

I am struck, however, by the terms of the contract.  This young man has been richly blessed by God with certain talents.  He has also been chosen to have a huge impact upon the world (at least the world of sports).  I trust he will continuing his God-given talent to impact his world, both on and off the playing field.  I’m sure he will.

Of course, you and I have also been created by the very same God.  We have also been chosen to be on His team!  His Son made that possible by redeeming us.  As if this were not enough, He then gifted each of us with certain talented and skills with which He intends to see us a make a difference, both in this world and the next.  And then He provided the church as a means for us to just that.

But being a member of God’s team also has certain requirements.  Consequently, like gifted professional athletes, who are required to forego certain activities that might otherwise prove detrimental to their priorities, we too must be prepared to give up certain activities for the good of the Kingdom of God.

This applies to unwholesome activities, to be sure.  In chapter 12, verse 1, the New Testament Letter to the Hebrews admonishes us to “throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles” and then to “run with endurance the race set out for us”.

But it can also apply to wholesome activities.  The Apostle Paul reminds us of this in his First New Testament Letter to the Corinthians (chapter 10, verses 23 and 24), where, quoting those who claimed freedom in Christ to participate in any activity they chose, he writes:

“‘Everything is permissible,’ but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible,’ but not everything is edifying. No one should seek his own good, but the good of others.”

As if to echo and underscore this sentiment, the Apostle Peter (in his First New testament Letter, chapter 4, verse 10) later adds the following admonition:

“As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another.”

In light of these things, I leave you with a simple question.  What are you willing to give up for the greater good of the Kingdom of God?  It might be a little hard, at first; but the results will well be worth the sacrifice.

After all, the same Jesus who in Matthew 6:33 challenged us to seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness also promised us (in Luke 18:19-20) that “everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come.”


ARTICLE SOURCES: 

https://www.foxbusiness.com/sports/patrick-mahomes-prohibited-activities-contract;
https://www.foxbusiness.com/sports/patrick-mahomes-record-503-million-contract-details-revealed.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES: 

https://biblehub.com/bsb/1_corinthians/10.htm;
https://biblehub.com/bsb/1_peter/4.htm;
https://www.biblehub.com/matthew/6-33.htm; and
https://www.biblehub.com/nlt/luke/18.htm.

Comments are closed.

    Cleo E. Jackson, III

    Occasionally I will add
    a few thoughts to my blog. If you find them inspirational, I will be
    honored.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010

    Categories

    All