On Hines Ward and Following Jesus

Just look at those pearly whites!

Last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced that they will release Hines Ward, marking the end of Ward’s 15 year hall of fame worthy career with the team.  Ward will be remembered for a lot of things in Pittsburgh: his devastating blocks, fearlessness over the middle of the field, and MVP performance in Super Bowl XL, to name a few.  But the one memory that may rise above the rest is Ward’s ever present smile.

Whether he was waltzing into the end zone in the third quarter of the Super Bowl, getting leveled over the middle by Ray Lewis, or completing his fitness testing on day one of training camp, the cameras always caught Ward with a smile on his face.  I don’t know Ward  personally, but it seems pretty obvious that this guy loves football.

Ward  has never been known as a great athlete.  He’s not the biggest, strongest, fastest, most skilled receiver to don the black and gold.  What made Ward great was his willingness to submit himself to the disciplines of the gridiron.  He worked hard to run precise routes, block with great technique, read defenses and find soft spots in the coverage.  Every catch, block, and touchdown Ward achieved was the result of hours of disciplined study and training – all done with a smile on his face.

It may be a stretch to jump from a tribute to Hines Ward to a reflection on the Christian life, but I’m going to give it a whirl. 

When Jesus gathered his team of disciples, he didn’t draft men with the most natural gifts in godliness.  These disciples were rough around the edges, and weren’t the brightest and best that first century Israel had to offer.  One day, as Jesus began to teach them that he must suffer and die, Jesus said to his disciples “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34).         

You don’t have to be perfect to follow Jesus.  You don’t have to have the sharpest mind, or the most spiritual disposition.  But you do have to be willing to submit to the disciplines of the Christian life: to deny yourself and take up the way of Jesus.  After all, the root of the word “disciple” and the word “discipline” is the same.  To deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus, means being willing to enter into training in the self-giving, sacrificial love that Jesus came to demonstrate.

Lent is time for training camp.  The Lenten season calls us to the disciplines of prayer, fasting, and biblical study, with the understanding that by submitting to these disciplines, we become better Christians.  We become better followers of Jesus because through these practices, God works in us through the Holy Spirit.

This Lent, I hope you’ll submit yourself to the disciplines of the Christian life.  And (like Ward)  I hope you’ll do so with a smile on your face, because even though disciplines can be hard, they are a means of God’s grace.  Besides, wouldn’t it be cool if others could see the smile on your faces and say “It seems pretty obvious that you love Jesus!”