Playing basketball growing up was a ton of fun! Amidst all the fun, I had some pretty tough coaches who would punish us with laps, suicides, and calisthenics. They would get animated and had no problem getting in your face and letting you know when you were doing things that worked against the team's system. However, far worse than running laps, being assigned pushups, or getting yelled at, was being put on the bench!
A coach would put someone on the bench whom he deemed not worthy of contributing to the team on the court. The bench is a place where you cannot be used to help the team. No points are scored from the bench, no rebounds can be grabbed from the bleachers, and no defensive stops or assists can be made from the pine. When you are benched, you are just shy of being worthless to the cause of your team winning the game.
As I was reading a familiar passage in the Bible, I came across a former all-star who got "benched" by God. Saul started his reign with humility, but as time passed, he allowed pride and disobedience to creep into his heart. In 1 Samuel 15, we witness a pivotal moment in Saul's life. God commanded him to completely destroy the Amalekites and all they possessed, sparing nothing. However, Saul disobeyed God's clear instructions and spared the best of the animals and the Amalekite king, Agag.
God was deeply disappointed by Saul's disobedience. As a result, God rejected Saul as king, and His Spirit departed from him. From that moment on, Saul's life took a downward spiral. He was tormented by an evil spirit, and his once-great position and authority were gradually stripped away. Saul found himself on the shelf, removed from the forefront of God's plans.
Saul's life reminds us that God's plans and purposes are higher than our own. When we start pursuing our own goals, working our own agendas, and seeking our own glory, we have become proud and are prime candidates for the shelf!
I pray I never find myself on God's shelf! I would much rather have God reprimanding or disciplining me than being put on the shelf! Nothing can be accomplished for Christ or His cause while we’re on the shelf. Those who adjust their game when the coach corrects or punishes will find themselves valuable members of the team. Players who push personal agendas and disregard the coach's instructions will find themselves on the bench. Similarly, those who reject God's instructions and correction, driven by pride, will find themselves on God's shelf!
Let us strive to humble ourselves, seek God's guidance, and obey His commands. May we remain teachable and open to correction, knowing that God's plan for our lives is far greater than our own.
