Normally getting subbed isn’t a good thing. It means you’re injured, not playing well or the manager wants to change tactics (and they don’t feature you; never a good sign).

But God has said that, unlike in football, getting subbed in life is the best thing that can happen to us. And any of us can take him up on the offer—even if we feel like we’ve been sent off already.

Allowing ourselves to be subbed means we agree that we’re not up to this game. We know we can’t win. We know we haven’t got enough in the tank to make it. We know that, even if we work our socks off and make a real go of things, we’re still going to die in the end and lose it all anyway. There’s just no winning. So why not think about the substitution God offers?

Jesus is our perfect substitute. Over 2,000 years ago he came to earth as proof not only that God exists, but also that he wants to move us from the losing side to the winning team. The Bible tells us that Jesus came to earth for one main reason: to take our place as our substitute for life. He lived the perfect life that we can’t, pleasing God in everything and never committing any fouls. Then he died the death we deserve.

He was executed on a cross of wood, not as an accident or because he was some radical hippy—but because it was God’s plan. “[Jesus] suffered for our sins [the way we ignore God, live just for ourselves and do things we know are wrong] once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God” (1 Peter chapter 3, verse 18, the Bible).

Think of it like this: when Jesus runs onto the pitch, any fouls we’ve committed, any cards we’ve been shown and any own goals we’ve scored all go against his name in the match report. And against our name is the perfect game he actually played! It’s a total swap! That’s what Jesus did for us when he died.

When he came back to life three days later, he promised that death was beaten. It’s not the end any more. If we let him be our sub and we agree to trust him, we get a totally fresh start. A new life. And a new team! We’re no longer playing on the losing side, trying to make ends meet. And God’s no longer the referee; now he’s our manager! We’re on his team.