Finding Value in the Struggle

        Mark Sanchez was one of the most athletically gifted people ever to come out of college.  He could have played college basketball or baseball but he chose to be play quarterback for the University of Southern California Trojans.  In 2008 when he became the starter, he led the Trojans to a 12-1 record and was named MVP in their Rose Bowl win over Penn State.  When the time came for Mark Sanchez to make the move to professional football, teams were lined up wanting his services.  He was chosen in the first round of the 2009 draft by the NY Jets and given a monstrous contract.
       In the NFL, however, Sanchez has struggled with handling the fame that comes along with being an NFL quarterback.  Despite being one of the most naturally gifted people in the NFL, Sanchez’s numbers have been disappointing for his fans and supporters through his first two years of being a pro leaving some to wonder if his extracurricular activities are a distraction.  Sanchez regularly makes public appearances on the “red carpet’ in Hollywood.  He had legal trouble in college, being accused of sexual assault and having the charges dropped and later making headlines for his relationship with a 17 year old high school student.
       Compare the young career of Sanchez with that of a much less touted college player, Tom Brady.  After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.  Brady is meticulous, disciplined, and has a great work ethic.  Despite not possessing the natural ability of Mark Sanchez, Brady has learned the discipline of hard work.  Brady, though just as popular as Sanchez, has been able to avoid the party boy persona of his younger colleague.
        Brady has played in four Super Bowls, winning three of them (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX). He has also won two Super Bowl MVP awards (XXXVI and XXXVIII), has been selected to six Pro Bowls, holds the NFL record for most touchdown passes in a single regular season. His career postseason record is 14–5. He also helped set the record for the longest consecutive win streak in NFL history with 21 straight wins over two seasons (2003–04),and in 2007 he led the Patriots to the first undefeated regular season since the institution of the 16-game schedule. Brady has the fifth-highest career passer rating of all time (95.5) among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 career passing attempts. He, along with Joe Montana, are the only two players in NFL history to have won multiple NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP awards (2 NFL MVPs, 2 Super Bowl MVPs).  Before the 2011 season, his fellow players voted him the best player in the NFL
          I have often thanked God that I am not naturally gifted so that things come easily for me.  I have found a lot more character in the struggle and hard work required to attain success.  When fame and fortune come easily, it tempts us to become arrogant and forget the author of all our blessings.  In the struggle, we learn whose hand we really hold.  Remember in I Corinthians 1:

²⁶ Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him. ³⁰ It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. ³¹ Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

A life fully committed to Christ, completely dependent on its higher power, and fully aware of its own dark side and temptations is worth more than two who are full of talent but have no direction, work ethic and are not teachable.  The next time you see those people on TV in their beautiful clothes, driving fancy cars, surrounded by famous people, remember that a life fully yielded, broken and willing to be rebuilt is worth far more than someone who thinks they have it all figured out.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. (I Cor 1:25)

With all my heart, soul, mind and strength…
Brian