In recent years, my appetite for sports has waned. But I wouldn't mind getting it back. Competition is healthy. Hard work is good. Toughness is admirable. Persistence is crucial. Selflessness is essential. Sacrifice is Christ-like. These lessons, and more, are taught through sports. So, if sports are so beneficial, then why have I lost my appetite for them?
There are a few reasons:
- Team owners and the media outlets that cover them are money motivated
- Professional sports are typically "player" centered and not "team" centered
- Collegiate sports are thoroughly corrupt and have developed an almost "professional" feel
- High school sports have become a year-round activity in a relentless effort to achieve success on the field
- Youth sports have clearly become more about the parents than the kids
In short, the good lessons learned through healthy competition are not the emphasis...self is. Look at ME!
Hey, I do not claim innocence on this topic. I have been selfish. My pride has driven me to do things that I regret. Wrong things. Sin, in fact.
You see, the problem is not that sports are perverted. The problem is that humans are. We pervert everything we touch. We take good gifts, like sports and countless other things, and turn them into idols. Rather than using them to have fun and enjoy what God has created and using them to teach our children valuable life lessons, we pervert them.
We teach our kids that their shortcomings are the coach's fault. We scream at officials with a zealousness we have never come close to exerting concerning the things of God. We disobey God's command by bending the knee to the culture and participating in organized sports on the Lord's Day. Some of us even connect the value of our children to their ability or inability to produce on the field. We belittle others, even children, if we believe that it will give us some type of a competitive advantage. Folks, this is wrong. This is ugly.
You may ask, can we claim this good gift back? Can it ever be what God meant for it to be for us and our children? Sure, it can! We simply must place it into its proper place in life.
For starters, let's simply stop participating in athletic events on the Lord's Day. Then, let's work to show our children that we believe I Timothy 4:8 when it says, "for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." Let's honor God while participating in sports by teaching our kids lessons that reveal Him to them and by living out these examples in front of them (and the world).
Let's ask God to disciple us toward a healthy appetite in every area of our lives. After that, let's...play ball!
Pastor Jeremy
