Who's Responsible for That?

On the day that the Alabama football team will be playing in the BSC Championship game, I thought it was interesting to review what I wrote during Saban's first season at Alabama......

So Monday, Saban ripped into his players as harshly as he has all season.

He questioned their character, he wondered why some of them made choices that led to suspensions, he lambasted the leadership, and then assaulted their commitment to winning.

If football is important to the players, then "they don't disrespect rules and regulations of the organization," Saban said. "What guy would make a choice, if football is really important to him, knowing that it's going to affect him being able to play?"

To him, not enough players are acting as they should, even though the coaches have made a "tremendous effort" to help them do so. The Tide has had to play at least half of its games this season with at least one player suspended.

"Who is responsible for that?" Saban asked.

Birmingham News 11/19/07

These words by Nick Saban made me stop and think about my own relationship with my Saviour. If Jesus and my relationship to Him is really important to me, why would I continue to make choices that would keep me from living the life that God created me to live. God’s tremendous effort resulted in the sacrifice of His only Son so that we might have the opportunity to be free. God ask so little of us- Love the Lord your God with all our heart, soul and mind and love our neighbor as yourself- and yet we continually live our lives as if our relationship to Him is not that important.

As Saban points out, “Who is responsible for that?” I continually try to take control of my life only to find that I fall miserably short of living the life that Jesus calls me to live. Having the power of the Holy Spirit (that same power that raised Jesus from the dead) living within me as a believer requires me to submit to Him daily in order to be who He created me to be….and I AM responsible for that!