Justifying Idols (sports)

Well, you've said it all.

People will go out of their way to justify worshipping their 'god', because of that just that, it is their god.

If some had the heartbeat for God that they have for sports they would be amazing.

The word of God tells us to not have any god before Him, Exodus 20v2. Yet, somehow...

I'll leave it at that.

KK

What you are also revealing is a reason why kids are doing so poorly in school. There is more emphasis placed on sports in general than on education. Thus America falls so hard.

I have no kids but my brother has 3 kids. One of them is currently involved in baseball and I always hear the usually tiredness in them when they have practice and games and those games turn into playoffs and and so forth. It really drags a family through the mud and yet how much valuable time is lost in education or even involvement in the church, for that matter.

Yet, I think this whole scenerio comes from males side of things.

I know for myself, College football is my main course for sports. Saturday is my 'picnic day' yet ever other weekend I go to a Saturday night service-I have to work every other weekend. This church has a Saturday night service SO, I get to watch the first half of a 3:30pm game and miss the rest of it. I deal with it though.

All of this stuff does start at home and parents instill in their kids what they think is important. Many times it is sports over the mind and over religious belief.

Does any of this make any sense? I felt like I just got rambling about stuff.

You are courageous to post on this topic. I wanted to recommend a message on the subject that helped and guided us in the raising of our children. My husband was raised on sports, and my father and brother worshiped the same idol when I was growing up. So....after my H and I were saved, we took the position of not having our 3 sons join in on organized sporting events....(I am not saying I have any problem with a church picnic where softball is played, or volleyball in a back yard - it is organized sports teams I am speaking to).....Unfortunately my sons don't have the relationship with the Lord that they should, and so as young adults are feeling that they were deprived in how we raised them. But we have to answer to the Lord, and I would not do things differently.

I am not putting up any man's word, but this message helped clarify Scriptural principles that would point to the detriments involved in sports. I recommend it for any who would be interested.

www.charityministries.org - "The Christian View of Sports" by Alex Marini

Steve, only you could have said it as well as you did.

WOW!

Once again you are proving a valuable point: life is a series of growth and learning and we do well to submit to it.

I appreciate your testimony, Krispy. Thanks for sharing.

ginnyrose

QUOTE:
"Some people act like I'm a traitor."

No doubt - given your past involvement in it.

Just keep on listening to the LORD...he takes you to some very interesting places but do not expect the approval of the masses.

God bless you, Krispy, and your boys, especially.

ginnyrose

Krispy, thank you for sharing on this subject. I could not agree with you more. Sadly, this topic will RARELY ever be spoken on inside a church service, for the pastor would have to risk losing respect and possibly church members...but it does need to be addressed nontheless!

It's the devil's trojan horse into the family circle. Father's who play softball 2 or 3 nights a week (even in Church leagues) don't know how much they are sacrificing or what they are teaching their children about priorities.

I work with professing Christians who pretty much take a Christian hiatus during sports season to get their kids to all of their practices, games, awards ceremonies etc. It's very tragic and very grieving.

Exposed idol worship will always produce a lashback, that is why speaking out on this subject will always bring it. No one is saying that enjoying a game or having your kids play sports is sin, but if it comes at the expense of God's priority in the home then it has progressed into the realm of idolatry. That's what idolatry is...having another god before the Lord God. it doesn't have to be a golden calf or bronze serpent either, just something that holds a higher place of affection, attention and priority in our lives.

Lord give us eyes to see these things happening in our generation and give us grace to avoid them ourselves and warn others with love and tears.

Ezekiel 16:20-21 (KJV)
20[Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. ] Is this[ of thy whoredoms a small matter,]

This chapter is worth meditating in this context.

Good stuff, Krispy. I live in Louisiana where the Saints and LSU are king in sports. When the Saints won the Super Bowl, a man asked me " How
'bout them Saints ? " . I told him that I didn't keep up with sports. He thought that I was crazy !! I tell people that I keep up with the saints of the Most High God ! These saints win every Sunday of the year ! Thanks for taking a stand !

amen

what is highly estemed umong men , is anabomination in the sight of the lord

what could be more highly estemed above sport
,makes me sick

tho used to be good at a number of sports

competivness is of the devil and is rooted in pride

people think im weired when i say i dont follow any sports

it is following a bunch of idolarters,im trying to sound crude

but im sure there are true christans who will allow them selfs to love wathching this sort of contrabane ,and i still love them but a cant understand them regaring it

but i still do go fishing , gives me time to pray and medatate and catch food
and i hunt ocasionly ,,but i try with all grace to do it to the glory of god ,and go through times of givving it up ,,,,,,and never take it seriously and compeate with a desire to be better then others ,,

amen krispy

Challenging post--and something that I was thinking about the other day as I sat in Starbucks and listened to a young man working with a sports-ministry try to share his vision for the sports 'platform' with a prospective supporter.

I read an article a few months ago on the Gospel Coalition website about the dangers of mixing Christianity and the idolatry of modern american sporting, but truthfully these kinds of things fall on deaf ears.

Having recently lived in a town with a well known Christian College, I have seen how there is a double standard of expectations for those students involved in sports on the campus--everyone knows that the Football players get drunk, skip chapel, hook up with their girlfriends, but they tolerate it, because sports are important.

Unfortunately, all too often, this idol is challenged by people who don't love sports, which is why I find your post engaging. I've heard several preachers attack the idolatry of sports, but usually they're the ones with no natural affinity towards playing or watching sports.

Its one things if a former NFL quarterback gets up and attacks the idolatry of sports, and another if an overweight, nearsighted, uncoordinated theologian gets up and does it. I happen to fall into the latter group as opposed to the former, and I wouldn't be one to attack this problem head on, because I know that I personally don't find sports all that engaging, and I think my hearers would know my bias and dismiss it without hearing the heart of the matter.

Just some thoughts from someone who can't sleep.

Very interesting insight Krispy from someone involved as you were.

Over here in the UK it is a bit different and not such a big issue in general with Christians. Obviously we play the 'original' football over here (wrongly called soccer):) However it's a big thing in the world and in the workplace the first and most often subject discussed is which team did what and 'who do you support?' So when you say I don't it's almost seen as there something wrong with you!

I used to be a fan of watching football (soccer), but cannot see profit it anymore, so when you do get guys at church wanting to discuss this or some other sport, you think 'give me a break! I have enough of this vain talk at work, I don't want it here'.

Funny, we had a visiting pastor from the USA speak at our church the other Sunday and he was big into college football. He used loads of illustrations from football, but most of the congregation were wommen and all were Brits, so no only was it completely lost on most, but mostly it was just a motivational talk without the centrality of Christ being preached.

Hey, Krispy ! I just heard Leonard Ravenhill, on the message " A Burning Heart ", say that America has a king called sports and it's queen is entertainment !

Krispy,

Your lead post on this thread has blessed me so much, has been on my mind a lot since I read it.

We are having weekend meetings with a brother from GA ministering. He spoke on the first commandment, "Thou shalt love the LORD your God..."

In his sermon he touched on an area that can interfere in obeying this commandment. He mentioned sports, how it can be idolatrous and gave his testimony of how God convicted him. If I would not know otherwise, I could almost believe you and him were the one and same person!

Anyhow, I was so blessed, doubly blessed!

Just thought I would share this...

ginnyrose

I understand what you are saying.

If I were to add or change one thing, I would not say that the "Bible teaches boys to be men", but rather it is fathers that teach boys to be men. And not just fathers, but fathers that are submitted to the Lord and walking in Love.

There are a lot of people (both men and women) that read the Bible and are very immature.

No one becomes a mature man or woman until they submit to the only True Man (Jesus).

The root problem is not football, but our hearts.

Sarah