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Before the advent of the spread offense there was the thing called "The Huddle". Players actually met in the center of the field and received the play from the quarterback. No hand signals were needed and all players were required to be in enough shape to huddle and then go to the line of scrimmage!
One of the most memorable moments in Huddle History occurred in Super Bowl XXIII when the San Francisco 49ers found themselves down late in the 4th quarter and having to start a game winning drive from their own 8 yard line with just over 3 minutes to go in the game.
Needless to say, this was a tense moment. The season and the championship came down to this drive. Everyone knew this and most of all the players in the huddle. It was in this very tense moment that Joe Montana, the Hall of Fame quarterback for the 49ers, jogged onto the field and addressed his fellow teammates. "Hey," he proclaimed as he pointed to the sidelines. "Isn't that John Candy (a famous actor/comedian) eating a bag of popcorn." Everyone around him looked and then they all started to laugh.
Nobody understood the gravity of the situation better than Montana. He also knew he needed the best from his teammates and they needed to be relaxed to perform at the highest level to which they were now being called. He used levity and leadership to prepare his teammates for this final drive. He arose to the occasion and his action is what set the tone for what ended up being the game winning drive.
Likewise, God calls us each to be leaders throughout our lives. It may be on the field but more often it will be in the context of our work, family or faith. You don't just all of a sudden have the ability to be "poised" in the defining moment unless you have been practicing it your entire life. Good habits are formed through countless hours of practice and in the numerous moments when the spotlight is not being thrust on us.
In James 2:14 it is written, "What is the benefit, my fellow believers, if someone claims to have faith but has no [good] works [as evidence]? Can that [kind of] faith save him? [No, a mere claim of faith is not sufficient—genuine faith produces good works.]" Amplified. It is our works through which we are ultimately judged and not just our faith. You can and should have faith in that which you endeavor to achieve but you MUST couple this with action. Go forth and concentrate on your actions and may they shine forth in righteousness so all will know you to be men under God.
