Many people who are at the pinnacle of their career but are forced out or kicked out of their profession. It is the norm for people to stay in an area of “expertise” for far too long. It is true in the political world, corporate world, and even in the sports world. Professional athletes are generally forced out because their profession is almost exclusively based on their physical ability. As with all of us, sports athletes get slower, and cannot jump as high, and the injuries eventually catch up. Therefore, the people who stand out are the athletes who can remain at a high level for decades, such as basketball star Lebron James, who is the same age as his coach. However, the other much smaller group of athletes, catch attention because they leave their sport before they begin a physical decline.

Enter Hall of Fame running back, Barry Sanders, who played for the Detroit Lions for ten years and then he unexpectedly retired. His accolades are unheard of, by rushing for 1,000 yards every season. He did not decline, but only got better as he was one of only three people to ever have more than 2,000 rushing yards in a season, which came only two years before he retired. Barry Sanders had 15,269 yards and could have broken the all-time rushing record, but he chose to retire while he was on top.

Last Sunday, Pastor Drew showed how Abram “Answered the call.” We often start thinking about what is next for us when things start to get rocky, but what about when things are going well? Maybe God isn’t calling you to physically move from your geographic region, but He could be calling you to step into something that is not comfortable. All of us need to be open if God is leading us to serve in a new way, connect with people we normally wouldn’t, or something else… I hope you pray and seek God on this!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Remember the Lord in everything you do, and he will show you the right way” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Here to serve,

Scott Schneiderman
Pastor of Ministry Development
New Beginnings Church, Harrisonburg VA