Potential Lost

O.J. Simpson and his story are attached to major invents in my life. His ex-wife Nicole was murdered the day after I got married. On my honeymoon, one of the only English speaking channels was CNN. So for 10 days, it was all Simpson all the time. Every second of the White Bronco chase I saw. The day the innocent verdict of the double murder trial came in I was in a hospital waiting room where my father was seriously ill.

As I watched him on Thursday, stand in front of a judge for a second time, but this time in chains, handcuffs and a prison uniform, I wondered how a two time All-American, Heismann Trophy winner and NFL Hall of Famer could fall so far. Yet it happens so many times. A life destined for greatness squanders its potential.

Often what I learn from others isn't what I should do. If I'm being honest, lives that I desire to truly emulate don't nearly stack up to the lives that I watch that teach me what I don't want to do. One of my pastors use to say, "Many people get to their destiny moments in life and their character destroys them when they get there." Oh, how sad, but oh how true.
Storms will eventually reveal the integrity of a structure. They will also strengthen it if we allow them to. The Bible says, "we glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; perseverance produces character and character hope."
As that verdict was read over O.J. Simpson's life, long gone was the cocky grin, the arrogant rantings, his eyes were now of a man whose hope had run out. Why? Because character produces hope. And he had reached the pinnacle and his character had found him wanting.

In a day and age where true character is getting harder and harder to come by, may we realize that very rarely does the loss of character happen in one life-changing decision. Very few people in jail cells woke up one morning and thought "Oh, I'll go out and rob a bank, murder my husband, rape a woman." Most character destruction begins small. It begins as we make concessions for sin. We find satisfaction with a virtual woman on a computer screen rather than our spouse. We go home with pens and post-it notes from the office thinking "I work hard enough, plus they'll never miss it." We let our home become a haven for our anger instead of a sanctuary to the lives we have been called to care for.

I believe that is why the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to "take every thought captive." It's a new war. It's a war for a our affections. It's a war for our character. Are we armed? Because trust me, our enemy is. May you and I stand in our destiny moments and ten years, twenty years, thirty years later, still be standing there.