Recently, I had the occasion to play in a flag football game. And for the record, (with the exception of being the oldest guy on the field), there’s nothing brag-worthy to report. However, I did get reminded of a basic principle worth “passing” along (pun totally intended). I needed some cleats! You see, several years ago, I threw my old pair out, and haven’t needed any…until that game. I tried to go it without any, but I was sliding around like a hockey player on grass. Other than my pride, no harm was done, but it got me to thinking.

Something to help grip, pivot, and anchor is important. For example, the point you tie a boat up to the dock is called a “cleat”, the anchor points in the bed of my truck are called “cleats”, and multiple sports rely on “cleats” to help with starting, cornering and stopping. The evidence of it was on full display when one of the guys completely “juked” me while carrying the ball (yep, I was busy sliding the other way). In our walk of faith, we also need cleats. We must have points to pivot, grip, and stop. The enemy is clever, fast, skilled, and highly motivated. To avoid getting “juked” I need a good pair of spiritual cleats (preferably high tops). The Bible charges us to:

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV

So when you see a player running toward you with questions on his jersey like “Is Jesus really the only way?”, “How can a loving God send people to Hell?” and “Who are you to judge me?” are you ready to pivot and turn or play slip-and-slide? The Bible has great anchor points and it’s worth the effort to find them and “lace-up”.