Everyone Needs a "Playbook"

In sports, a ‘playbook’ contains descriptions and diagrams of a team's plays. Outside the sports connotation, a ‘playbook’ is a set of strategies for conducting a business or political campaign. For example,“Romney borrowed a page from Reagan's playbook.” Regarding the fickle state of our current financial fiasco, economists worry there is no playbook for responding to unprecedented events (USA Today, 6/21/12).

Professional sports teams, businesses, and election campaigns alike know they need a playbook to compete and succeed. Christians needs one too! Our playbook is the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16). And we can’t succeed without knowing it, reading it, learning it, memorizing it, and most importantly, following it—to the letter (Josh. 1:8).

Satan has a playbook too. And we are greatly disadvantaged if we don’t know his schemes and strategies (2 Cor. 2:11). But we can counter him if we stick to the plan. With uncertainty surrounding us, our success can only be assured if we keep it close at hand, and pay close attention to it (Heb 2:1). Reminds me of the expression, “when all else fails, read the instructions.”