Tendulkar, cricket and a personal lesson.

Nov 14th, 2013 the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will be hosting a Cricket test match between India and the West Indies. Any cricket match played in India is a special one and draws a sizable crowd. But this test match is expected to be sold out and is also expected to witness one of the largest audiences any test match has ever had. There is no number one ranking spot up for grabs and no major international trophy that hangs in the balance. The simple reason for the importance of this match is that it will be swan song of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. In case you don’t know who this is – he is undeniably India’s greatest ever contribution to the world of cricket. Since the time of Gandhi there has not been another man who managed to have the whole nation follow him and hang on his words other than Tendulkar. Somehow this little and outspoken master managed to transcend the boundaries of class, caste, ethnicity, race and religion. He managed to endear himself to the rich, the poor, the old and the young alike. We celebrate his talent, his artistry on the field, his humility, his genius and so much more. When talking about success in the sporting world there are few who enjoy it and emulate the word better than our country’s pride and joy – Sachin Tendulkar.

If only Tendulkar could transfer his batting prowess to some upcoming batsman to ensure team India has another legend. His success, however insurmountable remains his own. Team blue has to now deal with the retirement and forge and raise new legends whose success and individual brilliance will carry her to the same if not greater heights of team success.

When I see my faith, I see Jesus - my ultimate description of success. He remains the best example of humility, perfection, glory and so much more. The only one to have defeated sin and death itself, Jesus has forever enjoyed success and will continue to do so with no end ever being in sight. But for me the incredible beauty of Jesus and the genius of The Trinity is seen in how they managed to ensure their stellar success was transferable. Jesus not only lived a victorious and abundant life on earth, He also promises a victorious and abundant life to us. Jesus not only stands in glory at the throne of heaven, He also chooses to display His wondrous glory through His Church here on earth. Jesus taught that He was The Light of the world and then later taught his disciples that they were to be the light of the world. When his followers marvelled at what He did, He told them that they would do greater things. Jesus knew there would never be another Him; He knew we could never live a life like His. So in the wisdom of The Trinity those who live for Christ, those who lose this life for His sake have the powerful life of Christ manifested in their mortal flesh (2Corinithians 4:11).


This makes me fall even more in love with the God I worship. You see in Jesus and only in Jesus I find that I can exchange my wretchedness and sinfulness for His incredible glory and righteousness. In Jesus and only in Him do I find that I can exchange my carnal, selfish ambitions for His eternal and selfless one. In Jesus and only in Him do I find the possibility of exchanging my own life for His powerful and successful one. In the promise of the indwelling of The Spirit and the call to allow Christ to live through our lives we find that the successful life of Christ is a transferable one – if only we would choose to say like Paul – “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I life by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” – Galatians 2:20


(Article to be published in AIM magazine's November Issue)

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