Hello Everyone! It’s fall time–fall season. It’s my favorite season because of….FOOTBALL! I play football and I just love watching football as well. I just enjoy playing football. But, at the same time, though many people may not realize…VOLLEYBALL is something fun to watch and play! Volleyball is during fall season, too.

Recently, my church had a Beach Volleyball League where we would team up and play beach volleyball against each other. My wife and daughter participated in the league. As I was watching them play, there were also other teams playing on other courts. There were about 4 courts. While watching, I became “aggrivated” at the fact how many teams would be so quick to bump the ball over the net–that’s just one pass– rather than passing it two more times before getting it over the net. You can bump, set, and then spike it. This is where the “show” is.  A ball comes over into your court, you bump it, someone else sets it, another player comes by and jumps to spike it and it may hit the ground and your team gains a point. During the Beach Volleyball league, it was very common that the teams just bumps the ball so quick over the net without even attempting to let it be set, then spiked. This somehow bothered me because I knew the effeciency of bumping the ball then setting it and spiking it. I began to let my mind wander and I wondered how it could really apply to our lives. I think I figured something out. :-D

While watching, I tried to figure out WHY the teams often were quick to bump the ball over the net. Was it because the player thought it would be easier than having to pass it to their teammate to set the ball then spike it? Y’know, this play requires SKILL. I will have to bump the ball into the right area for the player to properly set it to the right location and the right height for the other player to jump and spike it over the net. The spiker will also have to jump at the right time and the right length to spike the ball over the net and have it hit the ground. This play requires skill. It requires practice. It requires working hard. But being able to do this play does provide the best results than just passing it one time over the net quickly. Maybe for the time passing it one time over the net works, and you’re gaining points, but we have to realize that it is much more effective if we bump it to the next player for him/her to set it so that the other player can spike it over the net. Chances are high that you will get points doing it that way than just passing it once quickly over the net. Your hope is that the opponent would make a mistake for you to have an advantage in gaining points.

 While watching, I realize this is the same way with faith. F.A.I.T.H. in YHWH (God). When I say faith, I’m not talking about one’s belief, “I believe in “So-So and that’s my faith. I’m fine. I’m good.” No, that’s not what I’m talking about because that is not the real definition of “Faith”. The real definition of faith is evidence of something that you cannot see–things that you are hoping for. In Hebrews 11:6, it says that when we come up to YHWH, we must believe that He’s real and that He is a rewarder. We are rewarded through our faith. This is because you cannot see YHWH and the things you are hoping for. Not being able to see YHWH with your eyes and the things you are hoping for, both combined, is called FAITH.

As I was thinking, we can live with “easy faith” like those who play volleyball passing the ball once quickly over the net. They just play “by ears” and hope the opponent fails. Living like this is like “accepting whatsoever comes our way”, “Oh, so this happened to me, oh well, what can I do?”, “Perhaps this is God’s will?”, “Bad things happen to us, That’s life.”. It may be percieved as something with “good attitude”. They’re really hanging onto dear life– trying to get pass it and really, this is not the effective way to go. They’re just ignorantly passing through life taking in whatever is coming their way.

Now, compare that life to people who actually practice faith. People who actually stand on the Word believing in YHWH for healing, trusting completely that YHWH will meet all of their needs, and things like that. This life is like the team that plays volleyball effectively; bumping the ball to the setter so that the setter sets it for the spiker to spike it. Maybe we may make mistakes and fail to do this the right way, but with working on our faith and practicing on it, in the long run we will become very effective in life. Just like volleyball. Bump. Set. Spike. Bump. Set. Spike. Bump, Set. Spike. Bump. Set. Spike. Playing the “pass once quickly over the net” is not as effective as playing “Bump. Set. Spike”. “Pass once quickly over the net” is living a “get by” life- sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. When you get through it, you will look back and say, “wish I knew a better way to get through this.” “Bump. Set. Spike” is doing it again and again and standing on faith to beat it always.

The question we can ask ourselves is: “Do I want to be on the “pass once quickly over the net” team or the “Bump. Set. Spike.” team playing much effectively?” The choice is yours.

Be blessed!

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

“Without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to YHWH must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek him.” -Hebrews 11:6

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