Ragdolls at the End

John Hopper – 

I knew nothing about the sport of rowing until my son joined his college team. He was part of an eight-man crew that often competed against other teams on a course that took less than 15 minutes to complete. His team did not always finish first, but regardless of their results, there was one thing you could count on: when they crossed the finish line, each team member would collapse at the waist like ragdolls. They had given everything their bodies could offer. Even the coxswain, though she did not have an oar in the water, was exhausted from yelling instructions from start to finish.

That is how I like to envision my final days (whenever they come): not with lots of energy left in the tank, but poured out, spent, with nothing left to give. Jesus told his disciples—and, in turn, his followers throughout the centuries—to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). The command was not to make disciples for a season, or when it is convenient, or when we are having a good day, but to do so as a consistent calling to be pursued with every bit of attention and energy we can muster.

This does not mean our efforts will all look the same. Each position in an eight-man boat requires a distinct set of skills. For example, the seats near the stern of the boat require strong technical ability and rhythm-setting, while other rowers provide the power or balance necessary to keep things moving ahead. Likewise, your efforts to connect with unbelievers around you—and the ways in which you engage them with the Good News of Jesus—will not look the same as those of other Christians. Some of you will employ the gift of mercy or hospitality to share Jesus, while others will exercise generosity or wise leadership to the same end. But whatever the case, don’t hold back—remembering that even when you are weak, Christ in you remains strong (2 Corinthians 12:9).

After each race, my son’s coach would tell the crew members what they did well and what they did not, so they could be even better in the next race. But there is one thing I never heard his coach say—that the team didn’t give it all they had. May the same be true of us. May we all—regardless of our position in the boat—be ragdolls at the end.

John Hopper is the Executive Director of REACH, the author of Questioning God and Giving Jesus Away, a lover of a great family, and a big fan of tennis.