By Kim Sechler

Every Sunday afternoon when I was growing up I would sit around the TV set to watch the Dallas Cowboys square off against their opponent. At that time they had a coach by the name of Tom Landry. He was their first coach.

In 1960 Dallas was allowed to have a team. The draft was over. Landry was concerned because he didn’t have any players. He made a passionate plea to the owners that he needed players if he was to play in this league. The owners gave him three of the worst players from each team. These guys were bad (I don’t mean good). Their first game they lost to the Bears 45-0. To say these guys stunk would be a compliment. Their records:

1960 -- 0-11-1

1960-64 -- 18-46-4

1965 -- broke even

Those early years were tough and painful to watch. But the Cowboys became a different team because they had a great coach, who could take the raw talent of a player and shape him into a difference maker. Those men came to grips with their purpose and role on the team. That took time, practice, evaluation and adjustment.

My purpose and goal will determine how I live and what I give myself to. Do you realize you and I are going to be dead much longer than you are going to be alive? If that’s the case, then I need to prepare accordingly in knowing how God has wired me and what role He wants me to play in the body of Christ. I don’t want to drift and hope things work out. I want to figure out how God has shaped me and move in that direction. I discover that by looking at what energizes me and if others confirm it. I then move in those directions and trust that God will direct me as I go. That’s living by faith.  

God uses ordinary, available people to do extraordinary things. You can make a difference in the body of Christ. By the way, don’t look at the other players to see how they are doing. Just focus on the Coach who is the author and perfecter of our faith – Jesus Christ.  

Kim Sechler is a pastor at Green Bay Community Church