By: Elizabeth Haarberg

Lay Your Life Down

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

I was asked to do an activity for a team this week. The coach requested a story that the players could relate to an object that symbolized what they needed to do to win the upcoming championship. I found an anonymous story online called “Hold the Rope.”

The premise of the story is that each person on the team is challenged with holding the rope as well as trusting their teammates to do the same, regardless of how hard things get during the game. The message was fantastic! It was all about how to do the hard things when we don’t think we can. I added some additional elements to this story and included some verses that I thought applied.

And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12 ESV

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them. Matthew 18:20 ESV

Ultimately, we are stronger together. When everyone who is gathering is coming together because of Jesus, He will show up. The team that did the activity is learning a principle that can be applied in many other areas of their life, which is binding themselves to others in Jesus’ name to stand against evil and harm and increase peace and joy.

The rope is a symbol of the unit coming together in unity through one body and one mind. The strands of the rope are stronger when they are intertwined together, just like the body of Christ.

Seek out people with whom you can spiritually grow and create a community of people who are in agreement with one another that Jesus is Lord. This may seem impossible to some that have not been able to find this, but I encourage you to pray that God will send people to you and send you to others who are looking. The Holy Spirit is always working in mysterious ways.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado