God's Coaching #152

God's Coaching #152

Talk about seeing double! Since winning the French Open in 2003, Bob and Mike Bryan have established themselves as possibly the greatest doubles team in ATP World Tour history. Through the 2010 season, the identical twins, who were born three minutes apart in 1978, had won more doubles-tournament titles than any other pair—ever. More often than not, they were ranked the tour’s No. 1 duo between 2003 and 2010. They even broke double digits in Grand Slam victories when they won their third straight Australian Open doubles championship in 2011.

Besides their similar physical appearances and tennis skills, Bob and Mike are quite similar off the court, too. They both play guitar, like Mexican food, and cheer for the Los Angeles Lakers.

What’s the Score?

Unlike the Bryan brothers, the Bible’s most famous twins—Jacob and Esau—had virtually nothing in common, all the way down to their physical traits. Esau was brash and hairy, and he liked to hunt. Jacob was quieter and smooth skinned, and he preferred to hang out in the family tent. Theirs was a sobering tale of two vastly different paths in life.

While Jacob was far from perfect (he was a pretty good liar), he had 12 sons whose descendants became the 12 tribes of Israel. Jacob had a strong faith and chose to worship God. Esau, meanwhile, chose a bad path. He carelessly sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew and married many pagan wives who worshiped false gods. His descendants—like the Edomites and the Amalekites—became bitter enemies of the Israelites. Thousands of years later, the writer of Hebrews summarized Esau’s unfortunate life by calling him “godless” (Hebrews 12:16).

We all have similar choices in life. Like Esau, we can ignore God’s call of salvation and choose a path of selfish pleasure that leads to ruin. Or we can follow Jacob’s example and worship the one true God and live for him. Joshua 24:15 says, “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. . . . But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (NIV). Now that’s a good decision!

On the Ball

List three good choices you can make today, such as “speak kindly to others,” “obey Mom and Dad,” etc. Pray that God will help you do them.

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Coach’s Comment

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. . . . But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15 (NIV)