FAN?
It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.
Psalm 44:3
Last week, the news was swamped with fans outraged at the results of Monday Night Football. Fans were in arms over the result of the game. People lost millions of dollars betting on the game, due to the amateur officials they had on the field. And the outcome had the NFL making some changes to better accommodate the league.
The incident was so profound, not because football is so important to our day to day lives or because it was life or death, it was because the fans are passionate. They put everything into their team. They dress in the gear, scream at the TV, and put money on the line. They commit to their team all the way and will follow them through good and bad. Those fans, on fire for their team, are what make sports come alive.
We say we are fans of sports all the time. We pick our teams. But how many of us would leave a baseball in the top of the ninth, because we are tired? Or give up on our favorite basketball team because they are down by 20? When our favorite quarterback is traded, we change our favorite team. So many of us are fans while its convenient. But real fans love their team, always, no matter the score, the time, or the plays.
We claim we are fans for God. We say we are on His team. And hey, when its easy, we are good at being His number one fans. But the second the game is out of our hands, we want to bail. When we feel like the score isn't in our favor, we give up. When players are traded and when God asks us to make a choice that could shake up the entire team, we turn the other way. Cheering for God's team, is just like being a sports fan, it's easy until we have to give something of ourselves we aren't comfortable giving. But any real fan knows that in order to be committed to any team, you're going to have some ups and downs. Victories and loses. And I'm pretty sure, any fan would say its easy to jump ship when the going gets tough, but I bet they've also never felt more proud than when their team is victorious.
Being a fan is a commitment. Sure you can go half in and be a lukewarm fan. Sway with their wins and loses. And in that way you could avoid the pain of a loss in overtime, but you'll too miss out on the victory with the last second on the clock. Being a true fan, isn't really about wins or loses though I don't think, it's about a journey that calls you to something bigger than yourself.
Imagine, if at the end of the season, a team called their fans to join them on the field as a part of the team. Suddenly, fans are on the field throwing the ball and running it in for the touch down. God wants us all to cheer for His team. But that role as a fan is going to take all of you. Sure, you might not feel like you win every game or that you're always on the winning side of the ball, but I'm certain of one thing, when you are an outrageous fan for God, you will know an ultimate victory. God's team plays for heaven. And eventually, He wants all of us to make it to the stadium and take a shot on the field. But that doesn't happen if we switch up our cheers when it seems like our team might lose, or forget to watch the game because we are busy, or give up in the fifth inning.
If we want to be real fans. We go all in. We don't give up. We cheer for our team even in the face of defeat. When your team gets robbed of a win, you make it known and you keep supporting them! And when being a fan, calls you to take a step and make a change to follow the team, you do it!
Being a full fledged fan is risky, but putting it all on the line for God, is the only guaranteed victory I know.
Psalm 44:3
Last week, the news was swamped with fans outraged at the results of Monday Night Football. Fans were in arms over the result of the game. People lost millions of dollars betting on the game, due to the amateur officials they had on the field. And the outcome had the NFL making some changes to better accommodate the league.
The incident was so profound, not because football is so important to our day to day lives or because it was life or death, it was because the fans are passionate. They put everything into their team. They dress in the gear, scream at the TV, and put money on the line. They commit to their team all the way and will follow them through good and bad. Those fans, on fire for their team, are what make sports come alive.
We say we are fans of sports all the time. We pick our teams. But how many of us would leave a baseball in the top of the ninth, because we are tired? Or give up on our favorite basketball team because they are down by 20? When our favorite quarterback is traded, we change our favorite team. So many of us are fans while its convenient. But real fans love their team, always, no matter the score, the time, or the plays.
We claim we are fans for God. We say we are on His team. And hey, when its easy, we are good at being His number one fans. But the second the game is out of our hands, we want to bail. When we feel like the score isn't in our favor, we give up. When players are traded and when God asks us to make a choice that could shake up the entire team, we turn the other way. Cheering for God's team, is just like being a sports fan, it's easy until we have to give something of ourselves we aren't comfortable giving. But any real fan knows that in order to be committed to any team, you're going to have some ups and downs. Victories and loses. And I'm pretty sure, any fan would say its easy to jump ship when the going gets tough, but I bet they've also never felt more proud than when their team is victorious.
Being a fan is a commitment. Sure you can go half in and be a lukewarm fan. Sway with their wins and loses. And in that way you could avoid the pain of a loss in overtime, but you'll too miss out on the victory with the last second on the clock. Being a true fan, isn't really about wins or loses though I don't think, it's about a journey that calls you to something bigger than yourself.
Imagine, if at the end of the season, a team called their fans to join them on the field as a part of the team. Suddenly, fans are on the field throwing the ball and running it in for the touch down. God wants us all to cheer for His team. But that role as a fan is going to take all of you. Sure, you might not feel like you win every game or that you're always on the winning side of the ball, but I'm certain of one thing, when you are an outrageous fan for God, you will know an ultimate victory. God's team plays for heaven. And eventually, He wants all of us to make it to the stadium and take a shot on the field. But that doesn't happen if we switch up our cheers when it seems like our team might lose, or forget to watch the game because we are busy, or give up in the fifth inning.
If we want to be real fans. We go all in. We don't give up. We cheer for our team even in the face of defeat. When your team gets robbed of a win, you make it known and you keep supporting them! And when being a fan, calls you to take a step and make a change to follow the team, you do it!
Being a full fledged fan is risky, but putting it all on the line for God, is the only guaranteed victory I know.
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