“And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” (Luke 15: 5-7)

A Different Kind of Recruiting

Recruiting is the backbone of college sports. Coaches search across the country and around the world trying to find talented players they think would be good fits in their program. If a coach struggles to identify talent or convince the players they’re targeting to sign with their team, that coach usually doesn’t last long. Even at the pro level, free agency is just another form of recruiting and trying to get people to buy what you’re selling.

Coaches like Nick Saban and John Calipari have reputations as being great recruiters, but neither of them can come close to the way God recruits each and every one of us. Jesus uses the parable of the lost sheep to show the way God recklessly pursues His children. He wants to have a personal relationship with all of His children.

God’s recruitment isn’t a one-time deal, either. Regardless of the mistakes we make or how many times we drift away from Him, God continues to work in our lives and bring us back to Him. Even though we are sinners, God has His arms wide open waiting for His children to come home time and time again. God’s unconditional love for us is truly a blessing and something we should be thankful for every day.

– Joshua Doering

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