Intensity

Intensity

Intense

 

Basketball . . . . . . why do you plague me?

 

I was impressed at church yesterday by the dedication of several people.  Their passion was obvious.  There commitment was sincere.

 

How could I tell?

 

They were wearing Duke jerseys and t-shirts.

 

I don’t think that I am rabid about it, but they know my Carolina allegiance.  Of course we had a whole section of folks who don’t like Carolina or Duke.

 

But, as a Tar Heel fan, I have to admit that no one teaches defensive intensity like Coach K.  The ACC tournament championship game wasn’t close.  Congratulations, Duke.

 

I am a fan of intensity.  That is one of the reasons I love the story in Mark 2:1-12 about the guys that cut a hole through a roof to lower their paralyzed friend down to Jesus, who was teaching in this crowded house.  Jesus heals the man after seeing “their faith.”

 

What showed their faith?  Their intensity.  They were not going to be denied.

 

We tend to think that faith is about what we believe, believing the right things.  Their faith was about what they did.  They did believe the right thing – that Jesus could help.

 

They combined the desperate need of their friend with the incredible opportunity of Jesus to overcome the obstacle they faced.  They dug through the roof.  (The way roofs were made, it would be more like digging instead of cutting.)

 

Have you dug through any roofs lately?

 

If not, maybe you’re accepting a status quo that you shouldn’t accept.  It could be that you might be short on the vision of what Jesus could do if you got that need to him.

 

I was a pretty lousy basketball player when I was in school, but I was great at defense.   You know why?  It didn’t take talent – just hustle.  Just intensity.