Be Prepared: A Lesson from the Bench
The Scouts have it right — be prepared.
Jesus said it first — be ready.
Having spent many years around the world of soccer — from locker rooms to training grounds, from championship matches to quiet chapels — I’ve learned that the game often becomes a mirror for life. Sport teaches us about discipline, teamwork, perseverance, and faith under pressure. And one of the most powerful lessons I’ve ever seen about being ready came from a friend of mine, “Eli.”
A few nights before the championship, we sat together in a small apartment just outside the stadium — a handful of players walking through a study called The Complete Athlete, talking about what it means to be ready physically, mentally, and spiritually. When someone asked Eli, the backup goalkeeper, how he stayed mentally sharp knowing he might never step on the field, he answered simply, “I prepare every game as if I’m starting.” Two days later, under the floodlights of a packed stadium, his preparation met its moment. Early in the second half, the starting keeper was shown a red card, and Eli — calm, focused, and ready — sprinted onto the pitch. Over the next 90 minutes plus extra time and penalties, he made save after save, carried his ten-man team through exhaustion and pressure, and finally stopped two penalty shots to secure the championship — earning the MVP in the biggest game of his career. It wasn’t chance. It was the fruit of quiet preparation.
You might feel like you’re on the field — or stuck on life’s bench. But wherever you are, be prepared.
Jesus talked about two kinds of readiness:
Be prepared for His return.
In Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus tells of ten bridesmaids waiting for a wedding. Five kept their lamps ready; five did not. When the groom arrived, only those who were prepared went in. The others were left outside — not because they didn’t want to go, but because they weren’t ready.
Are you living in readiness — walking with Jesus daily, keeping your lamp lit?
Be prepared for His mission.
Peter wrote, “Always be prepared to answer everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15)
When someone’s life cracks open and they invite you in, will you have an answer of hope? Can you speak of Jesus gently, wisely, and with love?
Preparation doesn’t start when the whistle blows. It starts long before — in the quiet moments, in your habits, in your walk with God.
Eli didn’t rise to the occasion — he revealed the preparation he’d already done.
Be ready.
For the moment.
For the mission.
For the Master.
Jesus said it first — be ready.
Having spent many years around the world of soccer — from locker rooms to training grounds, from championship matches to quiet chapels — I’ve learned that the game often becomes a mirror for life. Sport teaches us about discipline, teamwork, perseverance, and faith under pressure. And one of the most powerful lessons I’ve ever seen about being ready came from a friend of mine, “Eli.”
A few nights before the championship, we sat together in a small apartment just outside the stadium — a handful of players walking through a study called The Complete Athlete, talking about what it means to be ready physically, mentally, and spiritually. When someone asked Eli, the backup goalkeeper, how he stayed mentally sharp knowing he might never step on the field, he answered simply, “I prepare every game as if I’m starting.” Two days later, under the floodlights of a packed stadium, his preparation met its moment. Early in the second half, the starting keeper was shown a red card, and Eli — calm, focused, and ready — sprinted onto the pitch. Over the next 90 minutes plus extra time and penalties, he made save after save, carried his ten-man team through exhaustion and pressure, and finally stopped two penalty shots to secure the championship — earning the MVP in the biggest game of his career. It wasn’t chance. It was the fruit of quiet preparation.
You might feel like you’re on the field — or stuck on life’s bench. But wherever you are, be prepared.
Jesus talked about two kinds of readiness:
Be prepared for His return.
In Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus tells of ten bridesmaids waiting for a wedding. Five kept their lamps ready; five did not. When the groom arrived, only those who were prepared went in. The others were left outside — not because they didn’t want to go, but because they weren’t ready.
Are you living in readiness — walking with Jesus daily, keeping your lamp lit?
Be prepared for His mission.
Peter wrote, “Always be prepared to answer everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15)
When someone’s life cracks open and they invite you in, will you have an answer of hope? Can you speak of Jesus gently, wisely, and with love?
Preparation doesn’t start when the whistle blows. It starts long before — in the quiet moments, in your habits, in your walk with God.
Eli didn’t rise to the occasion — he revealed the preparation he’d already done.
Be ready.
For the moment.
For the mission.
For the Master.
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