Sports Illustrated once called Bob Beaudine “The most influential man in sports you’ve never heard of.”
I first heard of Bob on a lovely, cool Georgia evening one fall, sitting around a fire pit with several Christian leaders at a conference. The subject turned to discerning God’s plan for your life. A gentleman who worked with the Zig Ziglar organization asked if we were familiar with Bob Beaudine’s book, Two Chairs: The Secret that Changes Everything.
In addition to being an author, Bob is the president and CEO of Eastman & Beaudine, an executive search firm. He specializes in hiring for professional sports teams and has helped place the commissioner of Major League Baseball, along with dozens of head coaches on both the collegiate and professional levels.
The premise of Two Chairs is that Christians have the wonderful advantage of sitting down each and every day and talking with the Creator of the universe. Bob suggests finding two comfortable chairs and leaving the second one empty, envisioning God Himself sitting across from you.
But while the premise of Two Chairs is personally focused, the three questions Bob poses in the book have great applicability to the current frustrations Christians, especially, face in the world.
The first question is:
Does God know your situation?
It can be overwhelming and disheartening to see the moral unraveling of our country. The headlines are regularly full of gloom and doom. Life is considered expendable, abortion is championed – and advocates with deep pockets pledge to outspend pro-lifers on each and every campaign.
But we know that God is aware and sovereign. We may not fully understand His timing or why He allows certain evil to flourish – but He isn’t absent or caught by surprise.
We know that Jesus said, “Even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:30-31).
The second question is:
Is it too hard for God to handle?
Social conservatives may be in an increasing minority on any number of issues. The so-called “silent majority” seems to be fading. When the elites control all the major centers of power, including government, education, entertainment, and Big Tech – it can feel like the deck is stacked against us.
But again, Jesus’ words should ring out:
“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). The lift may be heavy and the prospect bleak – but God can handle it.
The third question is:
Does He have a good plan for you?
To be fair, there is nothing in Scripture indicating God has promised that America will prevail or even be preserved. But it would seem that America has prospered on numerous levels over the years thanks to the Lord’s favor, grace and kindness.
We read in Scripture, “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, pray, seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Though this was written to the nation of Israel, I believe there is a broader truth here as well. King Solomon in Proverbs also notes, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (114:34).
We’re left to do our part, be faithful to God’s commands – and trust He has a plan for us. The familiar verse in Proverbs shows us the way forward:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways submit to Him and He will make you paths straight” (3:5-6).
Biblical scholars often point out that Proverbs are probabilities, not necessarily promises. But we can rest assure that when we commit ourselves to discerning and following God’s plans and ways things will work out within God’s will – and that’s always the very best place to be.