But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. 2 Timothy 3:14
If you’re a fan, or familiar with the Carolina Panthers then your most likely aware of the team’s rally cry “Keep Pounding.” In fact, just before every home game various guest are asked to pound the “Keep Pounding” drum which is always followed by exuberant cheers from the Panther faithful. What makes this rally cry so special is found in how it all got started.
Sam Mills played in the NFL for 12 seasons, finishing his carrier with the Carolina Panther and later brought onboard as a defensive assistant coach and then linebacker coach. During the 2004 season as the Panthers faced the Dallas Cowboys in a playoff game, Coach Mills stood before the team in an emotional plea and rallied them to never give up, and to stay dedicated to one another, give it all they had on the field and no matter how had it got, to “Keep Pounding.” What made his speech even more special was the fact that Coach Mills was himself battling intestinal cancer and would pass away within just a year, but not without fighting the fight all the way to the end.
In 2 Kings 13 Elisha receives his last visit from King Jehoash just before his death, and through the unction of the Holy Spirit Elisha instructs the king to shoot an arrow out the window and then take three arrows in his hand and pound them on the ground. The king did so, but with a halfhearted effort. Elisha told the king that if he had “kept on pounding” he would have completely destroyed his enemy for good.
In 2 Timothy 2, Paus tells his young protégé’ Timothy to “Keep On Pounding” when it came to believing the “Good News,” and to never give up even when the pressure from people and the adversary came at him with full force.
Today, with the help of the Holy Spirit we too can “Keep on Pounding” in our belief and trust in God, regardless of our situation or circumstance. And, with His help we can keep on sharing the life changing “Good News” of God’s love, grace and salvation with others.