Playing Out Of Position

Analogies.

I love them.  One picture to help with the point that you’re making.  A picture that is easy to understand and its basics can be seen in the other side.

Football analogies.

I love them.  I love football.  I have a point to make.  I make the point by using something I love.  Just like I’m about to do here.

Now see here, before I continue, there is a link between what I say here, and what I was concerned about before. (Might as well read that first.)

Anyway, the game of football has developed over the years in the quest of getting teams to win more games than they lose or draw.  To do that the 11 players on the pitch need to be used in certain areas of the pitch with certain responsibilities.  You have the goalkeeper, the defenders, the midfielders and the striker(s), or if you’re Spain you have one goalkeeper, two defenders and eight midfielders – so I’m reliably informed.

In any case, the roles of each section is fairly set, but depending of the team ethos there can be flexibility.  More often than not, however, a player will become accustomed and specialise in one of those areas.  Some are capable of playing in more than one position and there are those who are versatile enough to play in a large number of positions.  Teams thrive, however, when the right players are playing in the right position with the understanding of their part in the team play whether in attack or defence, whether in possession or out of possession.

Conversely teams tend to do poorly when there is a lack of understanding or willingness to adhere to the set system.  Worse still is when an eager well-meaning player is patently being played out of position.  For a player out of position is a weakness in the side that the opposition can exploit.  Even a striker out of position can prove a problem for his side if they are looking for him to be an outlet to their attacking intent and of course looking for him as the primary source of goals.

Wherever possible, then, in a game of football you would prefer to select players ideally suited for the position they have been placed in technically and mentally.

Sometimes I feel that there are people in church who are playing out of position.

Some are up front when they clearly don’t have the quality to do well there while their actual skills, qualities and abilities are being wasted or at best under-utilised.

Some are playing at the back when their talents and gifts require them to move a bit more forward in things.  It’s not about vying for position or getting a title.  It is simply about people performing in position.  Indeed my hands don’t need to be told they are hands to behave like hands.  They would be hands even if people referred to them as my ears.  That’s handy to know.

In the same way I feel you don’t need a title to work with that which God has patently blessed you.  You don’t need to be called a pastor to exercise the gift.  You don’t need to be called evangelist to exercise the gift.  What helps, however, is recognising that which you’re patently blessed with and exercising that whilst also retaining the servant mind-set that should be implicit in all followers of Christ.

Thus there is nothing I enjoy more than bearing witness to people playing in position.  Even better is when that is recognised by the Body of Christ.  Not recognised by a title, necessarily, but acknowledged, celebrated and encouraged as an example for others to find and occupy their place.

I get the impression part of the stirring one another to good works is about helping others to find their position on the pitch and to play in the system set up by God for that particular game and play their part with the others in the team.  Likewise we are recipients of encouragement by other players to make the most of playing in the position that the Head Coach has placed us.  That way whatever tactics the opposition employs we can be strong and decisive in possession and press tightly against them when we don’t have possession, so that when the final whistle goes, we can be a part of the winning side.

See.  Told you I love analogies – hope you get my point.

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

dmcd