Book Description
MARCH 2020 Day 15 - THE 2019 FIFA FAIRPLAY AWARD: CONSIDER OTHERS BASIC SCRIPTURES: PHILIPPIANS 2: 1-11; HEBREWS 10: 23-24 In April 2019, an unusual event happened in the world of football. Leeds United and their 64 year-old very experienced manager, Marcelo Bielsa, were chasing automatic qualification to the English Premier League (EPL). The Leeds United squad laced Aston Villa at Eilland Road. Matcusz Klicli, a Polish midfielder, put Leeds United in front when he scored the first goal of the match. While Klich scored that goal, Aston Villa forward Jonathan Kodjia was down with an injury. The goal scored by Klich resorted into a free-for-all fight between players from both teams Before the game resumed, Bielsa ordered his players to allow Aston Villa to equalize! UNBELIEVABLE! ALLOW YOUR "ENEMY" TO EQUALIZE? Albert Danquah Adomali was then allowed to run through and level the game. As Adomali tried to score, Pontus Jansson, a defender with Leeds United, tried to stop him because the manager's decision did not go down well with him. At the end of the day, the game ended 1 -1. That result paved the way for Sheffield United, who were Leeds rivals to gain an automatic spot in the EPL. Wow! PUTTING OTHERS FIRST! The action of Marcelo Bielsa and the entire team didn't go unnoticed. FIFA saw and noted what they did. When it was time to give awards, Leeds United and their manager won the 2019 FIFA Fairplay Award. In giving them that award, the following statement was posted on the FIFA website: "Some residents of planet football consider winning the ultimate, the only purpose of playing the sport. For others though, there are values which need to be held even higher than those which bring victory. What was at stake in the match of APRIL2019, makes Bielsa's act of sportsmanship all the more remarkable." BIELSA! What a man! In this year 2020, the Holy Ghost wants you to sometimes put the interest of others FIRST! We live in a selfish world, where consideration for others can sometimes become a rare find. The average human being is selfish and self- centered. This is the reason why today's scripture urges us thus, "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others" (Philippians 2:4). It is simply saying, consider others also. A wise man said, "Consideration for others is the basis of a good life, a good society." A.A. Milne reasoned it this way, "A little consideration, a little Sit for others, makes all the difference." It is not every time you are right that you claim your right! There are some times that you let certain things go, just the way Leeds United did. It does not make you a lesser person than you are; rather it brings to the fore the higher virtue you cant. By doing that, you are showing that CHARACTER is stronger than CHARISMA! Hebrews 10:24 says that such actions provoke love and good works! Consideration for others is an act of nobility. As you go out today and indeed in 2020, consider someone DAILY. It is a noble act! It never goes unrewarded! Pray now!
