January 6, 2010
Shark attack! Shark attack! I was yelling it with all my might. I could see what was going to happen and I needed to help Robert see it too. Everything would change in an instant if he heard me and did what he needed to do.
Let me back up for a minute. I used to coach Olympic style wrestling many years ago – in fact, a couple of decades ago. I taught all my wrestlers the principle that I called “Shark Attack”. You see, there comes a point in a shark’s hunt for food that it tastes blood. When it tastes blood it goes into a feeding frenzy and nothing can stop it from getting the prey that it is pursuing. Likewise in wrestling: there comes a split second in every wrestling match when the match is won or lost. You can pin your opponent, or your opponent can pin you, in a fraction of a second. A wrestler has to be able to see that moment and then give himself to victory with the same passion and commitment that a shark attacks its prey. My principle of Shark Attack was meant to instill in my wrestlers the ability to recognize the fraction of a second that victory could be theirs, and then pursue it with complete and utter wholeheartedness. It was in this scenario that Robert now found himself.
Robert was being beaten very badly. He was down nine points and he was in the process of being pinned by his opponent. He was fighting very hard not to be pinned, but it wasn’t looking very good. He couldn’t last long in this position. If something didn’t change soon, the match would be over and he would be beaten.
However, something began to change.
In his opponent’s zeal to pin Robert, he had moved his weight too far over and if Robert was able to lock his opponent’s head and roll, he would roll his opponent over and pin him. I saw Robert’s chance for victory. I yelled to him, “His weight is too far over, lock his head and roll – Shark attack! Shark attack!”.
Robert saw the fraction of a second he had to seize victory. He attacked like a ferocious shark, rolled his opponent and pinned him. He won. He overcame his opponent even though he was being badly beaten. He saw he chance for victory and seized it.
Likewise as men, we need to violently seize victory over our opponent – the enemy who is out to steal, kill and destroy us. There needs to be a violence rise up in us to take hold of what Jesus has accomplished for us and defeat the enemy of our hearts. We need to forcefully take hold of the life that the Lord has purchased for us. We need to take hold of Jesus’ life for us and others, and take back from the enemy what He has stolen from us.
Shark attack! Seize the victory Jesus has for you.
Matthew 11:12
“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.”
Strength and courage,
David