Throwing a Flag on the Play

Was watching my son play football today, and my attention was drawn to the officials when they threw a flag and blew their whistle before a play started–delay of game or something. Must be fun to throw out the little yellowish hanky with a little weight on the end when seeing a rule violation, and to stop the play.

Do you know that we have the power to throw a flag in our relationships or personal lives? Sure! When someone we love and/or work with violates one of our boundaries, like trying to manipulate us, we can throw a flag and let them know that, Ouch!, that hurts. We’d prefer to be communicated with directly and respectfully.  If we are making a decision that is hurting our own personal wellness (one too many donuts, for instance), and we feel the Holy Spirit say, “knock it off”, we can throw an internal flag that marks that moment as a bad choice that will not happen again. We can even throw a flag when we see an injustice in the world like human trafficking or poverty, and use that play-stoppage to do something about it.

Feel the power of a football official and take charge of your life by listening to God’s voice, throwing flags, and avoiding further penalties, and you will not be challenged from the outside quite as much for an “official review.”