Everyone Needs a Blocker

Everyone Needs a Blocker

So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people -- Joshua 3:14 – New King James Version

We used to play quite a bit of back yard football while I was in high school. There was this fellow that I enjoyed stiff competition with and we rarely were on the same team. One afternoon, we were on the same team. He was a good running back and I was a good full back. The full back blocks a lot for the running back. This fellow would not run behind my blocks because he wanted to prove that he could run the football better than me. He got hammered again and again. The next time we called a running play, it was to go to the right. I knew he would run left, so I went left too. I made a block for him and he ran for a big gain. He was hopping mad! He screamed at me that he didn't need anyone to block for him. It was so ridiculous that a guy on the other team said, "C'mon man, everyone needs a blocker."

Every group needs leaders. Every group needs followers. Every leader needs to be a follower. Confused yet? The mantle of leadership had been passed on to Joshua. Joshua was, then, the leader of the people, or was he?

The best leaders are the best followers. Joshua led the people by following GOD. He was simply passing down orders, just like Moses before him. The priests in today's Scripture were doing what God had told Joshua to tell them to do (Joshua 3:6). The quality that made Joshua a good leader was that he was a good follower of God. The result was "the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan" (Joshua 3:17; NKJV). Good following is obedience to leadership. On this day, Israel reaped the benefit of good leaders being good followers.

Back to today's story…the coach calls the plays (in back yard football, the quarterback is the coach), and them team is to execute. What we do most of the time as people is spend too much time arguing with the coach and wanting to prove we can do it on our own. If that fellow in our back yard game would have been happy to follow my blocking a few things would have happened: (1) I would have taken the brunt of the punishment, (2) he would have gained more yards, and (3) the team would have been better.

Put this principle in your pocket and use it in serving the Lord in your congregation. Your pastor, Sunday School teachers, deacons, etc., are your leaders. Follow them. They are following the Lord. God has called the play. Don't waste time arguing or complaining that you can do it better. Just follow their blocks. Work as a team. Gain positive yards in the work of the Lord. Every one needs a blocker. Follow your blocker and be a blocker when you are called to. Good leaders are good followers.