Who Is Qualified to Be Our Champion?
What does it mean to be a champion for others? What kind of champion do I want for me?
When I think of a champion, I am reminded of King David in the Bible who was a great man after God’s own heart. He had a caring heart for the people, and they knew it. He had learned this great caring by being a shepherd first. David had risked his life many times saving his sheep from the jaws of a lion or bear. He stood up against Goliath when no one else would.
In 1 Samuel 22:1-2, David was in great danger from jealous King Saul, so he hid himself. Amazingly, while hiding in a cave, hundreds of people came to follow him. They were the misfits and those who were mistreated under the rule of Saul. David had become the captain of the misfits and soon their king.
Yes, there will be people who will come along and claim they want to be your champion. When I hear people say they want to be my champion, I have to ask myself these questions. Will they be there when you lose a loved one, when you fight your battle with cancer, when you lose a job, or when your health is failing? Will they see your tears in the middle of the night?
Will that champion give you answers on how to solve your problems? Will that champion teach you about God and His way of life, which will bring you ultimate happiness? Will that champion teach you the Ten Commandments, which are for our good? I can only think of one who will be able to be this world’s Champion. And He earned that right to be our Champion when He suffered a brutal death for me and for you, so that we might live!
This is the champion I want. “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book” (Psalm 56:8, New Living Translation). My Champion is aware of what I am going through!
In Ezekiel 34:11-16 we read about our great God, who will come and gather up all those who are scattered. He will go out and search for His lost sheep. He will gather them, feed them, and cause them to lie down and fear no more. He will take away their pain and sorrow. God will seek out the lost, bring back those who have strayed, bind up the crippled, and strengthen the weak.
He will take away our pain and sorrow! That is the only champion for me! While people may be genuine in their words, in wanting to be our champion, it will take something greater than a human to solve this world’s problems!
God will intervene in this world and its sorrows! God is the only one who can be our true Champion for all of us! We must keep our eyes on our true Champion, Jesus Christ, and not a counterfeit. For He is the one that is qualified for that job!
Course Content
Janet Treadway
Janet Treadway was born in Washington, D.C., but was raised in Knoxville, Tennessee. She started attending the Church of God with her mother at the age of 14 along with her twin brother, Jim.
She was baptized at the age of 19 in 1974. She has been involved in various activities, such as serving as the managing editor of UCG’s first teen magazine UsTeens, which was distributed worldwide and published in English and Spanish.
Janet’s first love is writing. She has contributed many articles in various publications such as Vertical Thought, Virtual Christian Magazine, United News and others. Her article “Take Action, Your Life May Depend on It” is also featured in the reprint “The Cycle of Abuse.” Janet draws from her own life’s experiences and challenges when she writes and is motivated to give readers hope that God will see them through anything.
Janet has worked in the home office of the United Church of God since 1998. She is married to Charles Treadway and has four children, David, Michelle, Michael and Josh, as well as six grandchildren and two granddogs, Jo Jo and Vinny.
