Every Tuesday night in September and October you’ll find us in the bleachers at a football stadium. We’ll be cheering on the RMS Golden Tigers — and watching our girl on the sidelines as she works hard to pump up the crowd. I cheered in high school and my mom cheered in junior high so I suppose it was inevitable my girl would, at some point, decide the high-pony-tail-wearing, pom-pom-shaking, spirit-stick-making looked like fun.

I must say, cheerleading has changed a little since the late 1980s when I was the pom-pom shaking girl. First off, they don’t have to wear those crazy pleated skirts anymore. {Which I imagine might have been a deal-breaker for my athletic shorts loving girl.} But as much as some things have changed, some remain the same.

As I’ve watched my girl settle into the routine of practices, games, and generally spirited life of cheerleading, I found a couple of things we can earn from the peppy girls on the sidelines.

Even spirited fun requires discipline.

You know, it’s easy to look at the girls on the sidelines with their big bows and even bigger smiles and assume they are just there to look cute. But I can promise you, those 7 am practices this summer were anything but cute. These girls stay after school to practice. Most of them are taking gymnastics or dance or cheer classes — many of them do all three. Those smiles on the field are genuine but these girls are confident because they have worked hard.

Did you know cheerleaders are often runners as well? They run to build their endurance.

Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1 ESV, emphasis added

In our spiritual lives, we must also be disciplined. It’s not easy to get up early each morning to spend time in the Word and in prayer, but it is necessary. Choosing to grow and mature as a believers will always require effort on our part. Yes, we are offered an abundant life in Christ {John 10:10} but discipline is necessary for us to truly live to full.

Keep encouraging regardless of the circumstances.

Cheerleaders don’t just cheer when the team is winning. They don’t just smile when the season is going well. Nope, they stand there rooting on the boys of fall regardless of what’s on the scoreboard. As a former cheerleader, I promise you it’s much more fun to cheer when you’re winning. But it’s much more important to cheer when you’re not.

As believers we get to cheer each other on! We have this opportunity to come alongside each other and lift one another’s arms when the weariness of battle sets in {Exodus 17:12}. We remind one another of Paul’s words to the Philippians,

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6 ESV

That’s why we make meals for those who are sick, send cards to those who are grieving, and hug tight those who are hurting … because we know Christ is at work in all things, bringing good to those who love Him {Romans 8:28}. We remind one another of His faithfulness and mercy. We point one another toward His goodness. And we trust His promise that one day we will dwell with Him for eternity {Revelation 21:3}.

Maybe you need a cheerleader in your life right now. We would love to pray with and for you. If you’d graciously leave your prayer need or concern in the comments, it would be our honor to lift you to our Father.

Maybe you need to be a cheerleader for someone else. Today, won’t you take a moment to send a text or write a note, to bake some cookies or share a hug?

And if you need me, I’ll be in the stands watching my girl cheer … but I will also be looking for the ways I can be a cheerleader for someone else as well.

Cheering you on,

Teri Lynne