[190 words]
Even before his outstanding years as Harding University’s quarterback, Tom Ed Gooden was noted by the Arkansas Gazette as being the best high school quarterback in his district. The newspaper, ran a picture of Tom Ed with the caption, “Not On Wednesday.” It seems that another school had tried to schedule a game with his team, Carlisle, Arkansas, on Wednesday evening. But, his coach replied that they couldn’t do it. “My quarterback is a member of the church of Christ” he said, “and goes to church on Wednesday nights. He won’t miss for any reason, and I can’t win without him.”
Parents, young people, when it comes to choosing between serving God and pleasing self, what comes first? What do we choose? Do we choose the game, or do we choose God? “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). When you refuse to replace the spiritual with the secular, the eternal with the temporal, people see and take note. You are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). Remember God hates second place.
Dwight Fuqua
Findlay church of Christ
Sparta, TN