Have You Been Victimized By #DeflateGate?

By Gobel Brockman


Unless you live under a rock - or your cable or satellite is out - you've heard about the current NFL controversy involving the New England Patriots. They have been accused of using under-inflated footballs during the AFC Championship game, thus altering the play of the game. There are outcries from all over the country calling for everything from replaying the game to requiring the Patriots to forfeit to public flogging. (The last one's just from a few people here in central Indiana.) Whether or not they are actually guilty of it, I would imagine the league will take steps to see to it that something like this isn't repeated. At least we can hope.

As a result of all of this, #DeflateGate is a popular trend right now. Webster's Dictionary defines deflate as:

1) To release air or gas from something.

But what I find interesting is that another Webster's definition for deflate is this:

2) To be caused or cause someone to lose confidence, pride, or to feel less important.

With that thought in mind, I want to ask you: Have you ever felt "deflated?" Have you ever given what you thought was your best, only to have your efforts nitpicked and criticized? Have your ever given of yourself and felt unappreciated in return? Have you ever failed through your own sin, weakness, or inability and felt like there's no reason to try again? Unless you're living under the rock I mentioned in the opening sentence, I would imagine everyone reading this is nodding their head right now. We've all been there at some point. Self-doubt. Humiliation. Unappreciated and/or taken advantage of. Insulted (even for ending a sentence with a preposition.) We are a hurting people. By that I mean that sometimes we hurt, and sometimes we hurt others. It's just another reminder of how painful and how ugly sin can be.

To make matters worse, not only do we have to deal with humanity and the trials that simply come as a result of living in a fallen world, we also have to deal with the lies of our spiritual adversary. In Revelation 12:10 he is referred to as "the accuser of the brethren." He will constantly whisper things in your ear like, "You don't matter. No one cares if you're here or not. You've never been good enough and you never will be. You think God's called you to do that? You honestly think you have what it takes to pull it off? In your life you've been a liar, a thief, and a coward. Just give it up, loser." His accusations and lies are endless. Unfortunately, they're also too often effective. It's easy to fall prey to them.

I'm not going to give you any positive thinking, self-help motivational speeches. I think those are pointless and a waste of time. What I will give you is what GOD has to say about you. If you've surrendered your life to Him and you are living your life acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord, here's what God wants to whisper in your ear:

     "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness and into His marvelous light." (I Peter 2:9)

Understand what God - your Creator, your Father - is calling you: Chosen. Royal. Holy. His possession. Called out of darkness and into light. I'm not trying to inflate your ego, I'm trying to build up your spirit. The God who created you sent His Son to die for you. Philippians 2:13 says that He works in us so that we will both desire and do His good pleasure. You're not alone, you're not abandoned, and you are definitely not worthless. Worthless people don't have ransoms paid for them, and Jesus paid a King's ransom for you. And since John 3:16 says that "For God so loved the world" that means it's for everyone who chooses to accept it on His terms.

What that means is simple: the "Deflator of the brethren" can take his spiritual #DeflateGate accusations and leave. He's been forced to forfeit. The final score is in: 8-31. That is, Romans 8:31 - "If God be for us, who can be against us?"