Numbers 14:24  But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.

Have you ever been a part of a project or team where it seems that the task at hand is just too overwhelming and everyone is just bogged down?  Then someone joins the group and things change.  This new person has a ‘we can do this’ type of attitude and all of a sudden progress is being made.  Things start getting accomplished and the ‘can do’ spirit seems to infect everyone.  They seem to have a different perspective and attitudes that become contagious.  Recently we have had two major examples of this in the sporting world: Tim Tebow with the Denver Broncos and Jeremy Lin with the New York Knicks (currently going on).

In both these cases the teams were losing and playing poorly – in spite of the talent they had.  Their attitudes and the atmosphere around each team were not conducive to playing well and it showed.  At their best they would have been doing far better than they were.  Then these two players were added to the starting lineups and things changed.  They brought skills, but more importantly, they brought intangible ingredients that resulted in the teams playing at a much higher level.  In both cases the teams began to win.

While there are significant differences in these two stories, there is so much in common.  When anyone looks back over the past twelve months there is no question that these are the two biggest stories in all of sports.  Millions of people have been affected by both.  Isn’t it wonderful that both of these individuals at the heart of each story happen to be committed Christians!

Both of these men are characterized by so many of the Godly attributes that we have been looking at that are so critical to our lives in Christ.  And these attributes aren’t just when they are in the spotlight but are spoken of by their teammates and those who know them well: humility, honoring their teammates, being zealous in their opportunities, not reacting negatively to criticism, having faith in God and in their teammates, being genuine all the time, and doing all for the glory of God.

We aren’t likely to be in the spotlight like Tim and Jeremy are but we have the opportunities to affect those around us with our Godly lives.  May we be described by those who know us as being of a different spirit; that we are men and women who wholeheartedly follow the Lord.  May we be individuals with a ‘can do’ spirit that brings life and results to the difficult situations in life.  May we be individuals who are infectious to all around us with the glow of His Spirit and the vitality and encouragement that come from Him.