Last weekend I ran on the field after a Clemson football game.

You didn’t see it on the news. I wasn’t streaking or trying to tackle one of the players. It’s actually part of the tradition at Death Valley for students and fans to be able to run onto the field and celebrate with the home team after every victory.

We joined arms with the sweaty players who had just busted their tails for 4 quarters to secure a Tigers victory and sang the alma mater alongside them. We even got a selfie with Coach Dabo in the background. It was a fabulous end to a perfect day of tailgating and college football.

Now, I grew up a Tennessee fan and I never thought I’d see myself pulling for another shade of orange on Saturdays. But my wife’s family’s affection for Clemson is pretty infectious. The way the team treats it’s fans is a big part of that.

You see I didn’t play in the game. I didn’t put any pads or a helmet on. I did absolutely positively nothing to help the team win.

Still, I got to celebrate on the field with them as if I had. That makes you feel pretty special as a fan.

Our everyday lives aren’t that far off from this.

We do absolutely positively nothing to contribute to our eternal victory. The fight has been fought. The battle has been won.

Still, we get to celebrate in the victory as if we had fought it. We get all the spoils of victory without any of our own sweat or blood being shed in battle.

We don’t deserve to be on the field celebrating but the Person who won the game invites us on anyway.

I don’t like to use the word “we” when referring to my favorite sports teams. For example, when the Braves win (which believe it or not they used to do quite a bit) I try to never talk about how “We really won a close one” or anything like that. I’m just a fan, not a player.

The glorious thing about our God is that even though we’re not players we get to say “we” when it comes to the ultimate victory. His victory over sin and death extends to us even though He did all the work.

I’m not saying that life is easy or that we never have battles to face. But the biggest battle has already been won. The grave has been conquered.

So today, instead of sitting in the stands, why not try running onto the field and celebrating?

Celebrate today like you’re running out onto the field. Celebrate as if you’re being rewarded with something you don’t deserve. Celebrate like you’re on the winning team because you are.