Sunday, January 16, 2011

Faith, Foothball, Jets & Jesus


So the Jets (I won’t call them NY Jets because they play here in NJ and should be the Jersey Jets) have beaten the New England Patriots in the NFL playoffs after much hullaballoo and posturing about vindication and things being personal. Tomorrow’s papers are bound to be full of faith. Jets players had faith in the play calling. Jets coaching staff had faith in the talent of the players. Quarterback Sanchez had faith in his offensive line. The fans had faith in their team. The fans will continue to have faith in their team as they march on to Pittsburgh next week.

I don’t doubt that there was a lot of faith on that field today…faith in the things that the world of football holds dear. Did the hype and the rhetoric fuel that faith, or was it there all season? What causes us to have faith in something?

In the big picture, football is just a game. Having faith in your coach, fellow players, team mates, or if you’re the fan, in your team, is fun but not usually a matter of life or death. If it gets you the win, I guess it means the continuing life of your current football season, but it doesn’t really impact your eternal situation. It’s for a win…in a game…maybe even your job if you work for the team, but it’s only a blip on the radar of the time we’ve been given to inhabit this planet. It means even less when you consider eternity.

Do we give a thought to the bigger faith issues in our lives as much as we talk about having faith in our favorite football teams? Yeah, I’ll bite. I’ve been more into football this year than other years. It’s fun. It’s fun to pin your hopes on something and feel like you’re part of something bigger…a whole fan base all cheering for the same team. Whoohoo! (Personally, I’m a Giants fan and a Seahawks fan, but since they’re both out of the picture I guess I had to root for the Jets. But, if it comes down to the Packers and the Jets, I pick the green and yellow. I know I’m weird.)

In the grand scheme of life however, we need to take a harder look at where we put our faith.

Do you have faith in the God who created you?
He has an ultimate game plan for your life.
Do you listen to the coaching from the Holy Spirit?
He gives you all kinds of advice on how to win the game, i.e. how to value a relationship with God as your Lombardi Trophy.
Do you have faith that the God who created you really knows and understands all your sorrows and joys?
Jesus took on our human frailty and died a horrific death. He conquered that death and was resurrected to eternal life. Because of this, we can have faith that He understands all that we go through. He knows our strengths and weaknesses…when it’s time to carry the ball or punt.
Do you have faith in the people that God has placed in your life?
God has give you a team of fellow believers who will be there to support you in all your joys and sorrows, in all your struggles and in the times when you question the things in which you have placed your faith.
Do you pin your hopes on the life God has promised you?
If you do, you will feel like you’re part of something bigger…a whole fan base made up of the children of God, cheering for the same team. Whoohoo!

Now that’s a team worth having faith in.

No comments:

Post a Comment