To Kneel Or To Spike

To Kneel or to Spike

In the heat of the moment, situational awareness sometimes gets lost. As the Washington Redskins were seeking to clinch the NFC East title in 2015, with six seconds remaining in the first half, Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins mistakenly took a knee when he was supposed to spike the ball to stop the clock.

His mistake cost his team a guaranteed three points, because instead of stopping the clock, his actions ensured that the clock would run out. Cousins didn’t let his mistake ruin the rest of the game. He finished the day completing thirty-one of his forty-six pass attempts, throwing four touchdowns and passing for 365 yards. Fortunately, his mistake did not cost the team the game, as they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38–24. After the game, Cousins admitted that there was confusion on the play call and, in the moment, he made the wrong decision. He owned his mistake and focused on making things right in the second half.

How often do you make poor decisions when there is confusion and pressure? I am sure we can all relate to Cousins’s error because we have made our own. We have said things we wish we could take back. We have acted foolishly, hurting those we care about because of our selfishness and pride. If we make too many of these types of errors, it will certainly hurt the relationship, sometimes beyond repair. If you have made a poor decision recently and hurt someone you care about, humble yourself and seek his or her forgiveness.

Proverbs 6:2-3 tells us, “If you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said—follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased.”

Admit you are wrong, seek forgiveness, and play a great second half with humility so that you can win the day.

If you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said—follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased.

Proverbs 6:2-3