Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3
Football season is here! Millions of people across the United States will be glued to their televisions for the next four or five months. Many of them will eat, breathe, and sleep every touchdown over that period of time.
Understand, I'm not putting down sports fans, because to do so would be quite hypocritical. For the first time in my life, I'm really not excited about football season, but I'm still eagerly awaiting the beginning of hockey season. There's nothing wrong with being a sports fan. Everyone needs something to provide relaxation or an escape from the stress of every day life.
Those hobbies are perfectly acceptable when they are kept in their proper place, but for too many they are blown out of proportion. I find it highly unlikely that many who read this blog would classify themselves as idolaters, but the fact of the matter is that if we're not careful, any one of us can fall into a form of idolatry. I'm not talking about building an idol and worshiping and praying to it, but I'm talking about putting something ahead of God.
Lest anyone think I'm being condescending, I'll make a confession here. About nine years ago, I found myself at a point where sports had taken far too big of a role in my life. I hadn't come to the point that I'd stay home from church to watch a game or anything like that, but if you were to begin a conversation with me, sports would have been my top pick, far and away.
Things really hit the fan one Saturday, when, while watching a football game, I got angry when I felt that my team lost a game because of poor officiating. While I still believe the officiating in that game was poor, I'm nonetheless very ashamed by my reaction. If someone who wasn't a Christian would have seen how I acted that afternoon, I would have given a very poor testimony. It would have suggested that a football game was more important to me than living my faith.
I had to do some re-evaluation. I stopped watching football for the rest of the season to give myself an opportunity to straighten out my priorities. I couldn't let my love of sports be the first love of my life. If it hadn't done so at that point, it was well on its way.
In the Book of Revelation, Jesus told the church of Ephesus that he had somewhat against them because they had left their first love. Jesus is the first love of a Christian. When we're first saved, He is more important than anything in the world. However, over time, our love for Him often grows cold, and our focus moves away from Him and to worldly things.
As much as we might not like to admit it, this is ultimately a form of idolatry. Anything we put ahead of God is an idol. I'm fully aware that this is a thought that will offend many, but if we want to be the servants of God that we should be, we must be able to face our sin for what it is so that we can deal with it. Denial will get us nowhere.
If at this point, you realize that you're at the point I was a few years ago, there is good news. If we'll confess this sin to God, He'll forgive it just as He will any other. We can have complete fellowship restored and resume our proper service to Him.
Go ahead. Watch a football game. Engage in your favorite hobby. Enjoy it. But please, keep it in its proper place. Don't let it take the place of your first love. Give first place to Jesus, and everything else will fall in line. That is the only way to live life to its fullest.
Football season is here! Millions of people across the United States will be glued to their televisions for the next four or five months. Many of them will eat, breathe, and sleep every touchdown over that period of time.
Understand, I'm not putting down sports fans, because to do so would be quite hypocritical. For the first time in my life, I'm really not excited about football season, but I'm still eagerly awaiting the beginning of hockey season. There's nothing wrong with being a sports fan. Everyone needs something to provide relaxation or an escape from the stress of every day life.
Those hobbies are perfectly acceptable when they are kept in their proper place, but for too many they are blown out of proportion. I find it highly unlikely that many who read this blog would classify themselves as idolaters, but the fact of the matter is that if we're not careful, any one of us can fall into a form of idolatry. I'm not talking about building an idol and worshiping and praying to it, but I'm talking about putting something ahead of God.
Lest anyone think I'm being condescending, I'll make a confession here. About nine years ago, I found myself at a point where sports had taken far too big of a role in my life. I hadn't come to the point that I'd stay home from church to watch a game or anything like that, but if you were to begin a conversation with me, sports would have been my top pick, far and away.
Things really hit the fan one Saturday, when, while watching a football game, I got angry when I felt that my team lost a game because of poor officiating. While I still believe the officiating in that game was poor, I'm nonetheless very ashamed by my reaction. If someone who wasn't a Christian would have seen how I acted that afternoon, I would have given a very poor testimony. It would have suggested that a football game was more important to me than living my faith.
I had to do some re-evaluation. I stopped watching football for the rest of the season to give myself an opportunity to straighten out my priorities. I couldn't let my love of sports be the first love of my life. If it hadn't done so at that point, it was well on its way.
In the Book of Revelation, Jesus told the church of Ephesus that he had somewhat against them because they had left their first love. Jesus is the first love of a Christian. When we're first saved, He is more important than anything in the world. However, over time, our love for Him often grows cold, and our focus moves away from Him and to worldly things.
As much as we might not like to admit it, this is ultimately a form of idolatry. Anything we put ahead of God is an idol. I'm fully aware that this is a thought that will offend many, but if we want to be the servants of God that we should be, we must be able to face our sin for what it is so that we can deal with it. Denial will get us nowhere.
If at this point, you realize that you're at the point I was a few years ago, there is good news. If we'll confess this sin to God, He'll forgive it just as He will any other. We can have complete fellowship restored and resume our proper service to Him.
Go ahead. Watch a football game. Engage in your favorite hobby. Enjoy it. But please, keep it in its proper place. Don't let it take the place of your first love. Give first place to Jesus, and everything else will fall in line. That is the only way to live life to its fullest.
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