A Note In His Locker

A Note in His Locker

When Robert Griffin III cleaned out his locker at the end of the 2015 season, he left a message for the sports world to see. Referencing Dr. Kent M. Keith’s “Paradoxical Commandments,” which chronicles nine different responses to make when you are hurt or offended by others, the note was a mature way for Griffin to leave the Washington Redskins after a tough season.

Griffin’s journey in the NFL is a fascinating one. Once called a rock star by teammate Santana Moss, seemingly owning the nation’s capitol, Griffin went through tremendous highs in his rookie season, only to be matched by equally difficult lows in his remaining time playing in Washington. During his final season with the Redskins, Griffin was essentially inactive for most of the season. It certainly isn’t the script RG3 would have written for himself.

When things don’t go your way, how do you respond? My first thoughts are often the most ugly, and if kept unchecked, they can cause great damage to my reputation or to others in my life. Jesus often taught principles that seemed so paradoxical to human nature. The hardest principle to employ might be the one found in Luke 6:28-29: “Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also.”

The way of Jesus is different, but that is because his Kingdom is not of this world. Dr. Keith’s final comments in the “Paradoxical Commandments” put all of these matters into perspective when he says, “In the final analysis, it’s between you and God; it was never between you and them anyway.” Live with this end in mind when others come against you.

Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also.

Luke 6:28-29