What Is Your Spiritual Plus-Minus Today?

by Kevin Burton

   Today my reading of an Alistair Begg message has me thinking about basketball?

   Basketball, really?

   Begg is the speaker on the Truth for Life radio ministry. I get an e-mail from that website every day with some kind of message – a challenge, encouragement, call to joyfulness – all to the furtherance of God’s kingdom.

   If you’ve tuned in to his sermons on radio for any length of time you have heard him use the  somewhat unconventional method of quoting song lyrics from the 60s, mainly Simon & Garfunkel and the Beatles. He relates their words to the spiritual condition of man, the realities of where it is verses where God says it should be.

   But basketball?

   In basketball, a player’s performance is now measured by something called plus-minus (usually expressed as +/-).

   You’re probably familiar with some of basketball’s statistical categories; points scored, rebounds, steals, blocked shots, turnovers, assists. Plus-minus takes all these things into account for a player, as well as how well the opposing team does while he is on the court.

   “Plus/Minus a real-time report card for players, showing how well the team fares in terms of points scored and point given up when they’re in the game,” according to the basketball website interbasket.net.

   “Plus/Minus calculates the team’s point differential while a player is on the court, providing insights into their contribution to winning, irrespective of conventional stats. This metric particularly benefits players with ‘intangible value’ — those who significantly influence their team’s success even when standard statistics may not reflect their high-level performance.”

   A Truth For Life message under the headline “Wisdom in War” talks about the Christian using all the weapons at his or her disposal, in the war against evil.

   “We are engaged in a great war with the Philistines of evil. Every weapon within our  reach must be used. Preaching, teaching, praying, giving—all must be brought into action,” Begg writes, even including talents we may think of as lesser.

   “These various tools may all be useful in slaying Philistines; rough tools may deal hard blows, and killing need not be elegantly done, so long as it is done effectually. Each moment of time, in season or out of season; each fragment of ability, educated or untutored; each opportunity, favorable or unfavorable, must be used, for our foes are many and our force but slender.”

   So in using our basketball analogy, maybe I am too short to rebound effectively, but I am a good passer. Maybe I am good at setting picks, a skill that isn’t even measured by a statistical category (I don’t think). All of that is taken into account by plus-minus.

   In the spiritual, maybe (not maybe) I am an introvert who is more comfortable and more effective sitting in an office and typing words to reach people, as opposed to meeting them face to face. We should do all we can.

   So here’s a question I approach with fear and trembling: what is my spiritual plus-minus today?  Who have I encouraged? Have I preached the word by my words and/or actions?

   Has the earthly reputation of God’s kingdom been enhanced or diminished during my waking hours?

   It certainly can be a useful thought to ponder. But as another favorite radio preacher, Chuck Swindoll of Insight For Living says, we should not make this analogy, “walk on all fours.” In other words don’t try to make it explain each and every thing.

   That’s because unlike a basketball game where the outcome is in question, glory to God we know that the spiritual battle is already won!

   God is not depending on me to do any certain thing to help claim the victory. The battle was won on the cross at Calvary, when Christ died as a sacrifice for hopelessly lost sinners (you and me) who could never pay their debt.

   And knowing that the battle is already won, doesn’t that make you even more zealous to get in the game, to contribute whatever you can to the fight against evil? 

   But as we do so, and we look at the tools at our disposal, we can never forget where our power comes from, and that the enemy is hard at work too.

   “Most of our tools need sharpening; we need quickness of perception, tact, energy, promptness—in a word, complete adaptation—for the Lord’s work,” Begg writes. “Practical common sense is a very scarce thing among the conductors of Christian enterprises.”

   “This morning let us note enough to sharpen our zeal during this day by the aid of the Holy Spirit.”

   “Witness the energy of some, how they travel over sea and land to make one proselyte—are they to monopolize all the earnestness? Consider what tortures some endure in the service of their idols! Are they alone to exhibit patience and self-sacrifice?”

   “Observe the prince of darkness, how persevering in his endeavors, how unabashed in his attempts, how daring in his plans, how thoughtful in his plots, how energetic in all!”

   “The devils are united as one man in their infamous rebellion, while we believers in Jesus are divided in our service of God and scarcely ever work with unanimity. O that from Satan’s infernal industry we may learn to go about like good Samaritans, seeking whom we may bless!”

   If we can use plus-minus as an informal measuring tool to keep us from being lazy in the Christian walk, by all means let’s do so.

  But make no mistake, in terms of salvation, God doesn’t calculate plus-minus. Let not anything I said today be construed as a works doctrine. We are either in Christ by faith, or we are not.

    Friend, which camp are you in?