I Thought I was Right…

By Cody Westbrook

            I love football. I began playing when I was in the seventh grade and I remember like it was yesterday the fear and uncertainty I had on my first day of practice. I also remember an occasion during one of our afternoon practices when one of my coaches, Coach Lyle, said something to me that remains with me to this day. I was playing defense, weak side linebacker, and a play was called in which I was supposed to blitz. When the center snapped the ball I looked and I saw the running back sprinting off toward the flats. Instead of blitzing like I was supposed to I tore off after the running back because I thought that no one else was going to cover him. When I did that, the quarter back ran right through the hole I was supposed to have been blitzing through and up the field for a touchdown.

            Coach Lyle was furious! “Westbrook!” he said, “What are you doing! You’re supposed to be blitzing not covering the running back!” As you can imagine I was now a bit nervous and as everyone stood there looking at me I cleared my throat and with a pinch of confidence said “I know I was supposed to be blitzing but when I saw the running back run off I thought I was supposed to cover him instead.” Coach Lyle’s response was monumental, to me at least. Not only did his words help me to be a better football player but even today they remind me that what I think is right, is not always right. He looked at me and said with a loud voice, “that’s what you get for thinking!”

            There are so many occasions in life where we think we are right but soon find out that we are not. Certainly religion is one of those areas.  Jeremiah said in the long ago, “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” (Jeremiah 10:23) Because God is our creator and because He is omniscient He alone has the right to govern what is right and what is wrong religiously speaking, whether we think we are right or not really is of no consequence.

            It is a sad reality that thousands of men and women worldwide think that they are right in their religious practice. However Jesus Himself said that there would be many people who although they think they are right, will one day find out that they are not. Notice His words in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

            The world in which we live is becoming more and more religiously confusing. In this post modern age where absolute truth is discounted, contemporary doctrines are created, and new agendas are pushed to the forefront it is vitally important for us to speak only as the oracles of God. (1 Peter 4:1) Let us be mindful of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 7 of the reality that you or I could be in the number on judgment day, who bow before Jesus and I say “I thought I was right.”