Playng It God's Way!!!

Playing it God’s Way!!!

Media was abuzz recently with the release of the autobiography “Playing it my way” by the Icon of Indian Cricket …Sachin Tendulkar. On or off the field the best contribution of this Demi-God of Indian cricket to Sport at large would be not only the numerous records he “built monumentally” displaying transcendental skills along the way but simply his dignified disposition not for a jiffy but for a period close to twenty five years which in "here today, gone tomorrow" Sports circles represents “an eon”. In all circumstances’… be it in facing “chin music” in his debut in Pakistan initially or fulfilling consistently the “back-breaking” burden of expectations of a massive albeit fickle-minded fan following without complaint in a long lasting career or enduring grimly complaints of a body crying for rest and relaxation towards the latter stages of his career or even dealing with tricky controversies like agitation over acquisition of a Ferrari car without tax payment or ball tampering (thanks Dennis the menace), let it be said that in public perception at least, Sachin faced it ALL offering a “straight bat” all along. Boy, objectively assessed, Mumbai’s maestro’s career would to the discerning eye appear to be an expression of not only sublime skills but also a strong statement of character. Needless to say, youngsters’ of Indian sport needn’t look beyond Sachin, if they are searching for an ideal role model.

While exceptional talent and judicious management of the same by the individual concerned in a game like Cricket can guarantee applause and approbation all around for a life-time, what about the infinitely more serious game of life with priceless Eternity in the offing? How do we need to play it? Who better to coach us…a la Ramakant Achrekar (long-time coach of Sachin) in this subject carrying eternal ramifications’ than the Creator of life Himself!!!

Solution…

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?-Jeremiah 17:9

…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,-Rom 3:23

Dr. Christiaan Barnard, Louis Washkansky, Denise Darvall….do not blame yourselves in case these names do not ring a bell with you. Well, Dr Barnard was the Cardiac surgeon who performed the first heart transplantation surgery in medical history on 3rd December 1967, at the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa replacing the ailing heart of Louis Washansky with the healthy one of 25 year old Darvall who had succumbed to his injuries in an automobile accident.

Spiritually speaking all of us humans whatever be our social standing (King or slave, rich or poor, educated or illiterate, a Sports legend or a mere spectator of sport ) being spiritually and genetically connected to the first sinners’ in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-19) have inherited a rebellious heart…one in which holiness does not come easy. Parents and teachers’ have to instruct the children “not” to lie or steal in their young age, because these “unholy” actions’ stem from the young ones’ naturally without anyone having to teach them. Why? The human heart by birth is deceitful as the Scripture declares. Where do we go for solution to this deadly disease which can maim not only body but the eternal, indwelling spirit? Is a person snapping all ties with the sin-cursed World (because of the original sin-Romans 8:19-22) and dwelling in the snow-clad Himalayas’ donning saffron clothes’ guaranteed a deep peace of mind emanating from a realization that all is well with him now… spiritually? No, for there too into the Snowy peaks, he is forced to carry his sin-infected heart along with him!!! The infection of Sin doesn’t depart from one’s heart by mere change of address. If it were that easy, there would not have been any need for the Saviour’s advent into this sin-marred World. Some would logically argue at this stage that, they are not responsible for the original sin, so why should they be born with a sinful heart, in the first place? Let’s address this issue…

Can anybody other than the hard-hearted lay the blame of being born with a hardened heart at the door of the good Lord who has kept ready the solution for this lethal malady-one which is more dangerous than Ebola or Aids can ever be- at its very door, so to speak? One look at Romans 10:6-10 (TLB) and the picture of the Saviour having completed the Redemption plan at an immeasurable cost, standing with nail-scarred hands at the door of the Sinner’s heart and knocking with a plea to let him in “to heal” would emerge with no shades of grey. If only we let Him in, this Scriptural promise would be fulfilled in our lives…

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.-Ezekiel 36:26