Whenever Christians participate in any form of media, their participation is not neutral. Everything must be filtered through God’s Word. Hold onto what is good and hate what is evil (Phil. 4:8-9, 2 Cor. 10:5). So, how does a Christian take every thought captive to obey Christ as they watch College Football and the NFL (2 Cor. 10:5)?
Don’t sin by…
1. Enjoying the violence. The Lord is who you should love, not the sin of violence. Whenever a football player says he wants to kill or injure his opponent, we should not have the same desires. Hurting other human beings should not be the goal, but rather to play the game with excellence unto God’s glory alone.
2. Enjoying the physical pain of other human beings, for they are God’s image bearers. Certain players easily get under our skin; especially the arrogant show-boaters on rival teams. Sometimes even coaches are arrogant; but unfortunately, sometimes they’re just despised because they are good at beating our team(s)! Regardless how much we love our team(s), we must not rejoice whenever bad things happen to opposing players or coaches; whether injuries, car wrecks, illnesses, family problems, etc. All humans are equally valuable, regardless if they play for your favorite team(s) or not.
3. Imagining that your “enemies” or “boss” are the opposing quarterback, and you are the linebacker that just blindsided him. When you watch something that is violent, and you think “I want to do this to so and so…” you should repent and probably stop watching violent things! However, it must be noted that the problem is within you, not outside of you (Rom. 3:23). Run to the cross!
4. Thinking that seeing a good football game is better than being with Christ. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying sports; however, whenever we had rather enjoy sports than to go to heaven to be with Christ at this moment, we reveal that sports are an idol in our lives. We must believe with Paul that to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Phil. 1:21). Also, this is largely the reason why Christians had rather watch a football game than attend worship with their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Do enjoy the Lord through…
1. The physical giftedness of the athletes. All of these athletes were endowed by God with the gifts, abilities, etc. in order to participate in football with excellence. Their performances silently scream God’s existence and reveal His glory whether they verbally acknowledge Him or not.
2. The intellectual giftedness of the athletes. When Steve Spurrier coached Florida, they whipped Tennessee on numerous occasions. Most of my relatives could not stand Spurrier. Many of the games Spurrier won were a result of the God-given intellect he received in his mother’s womb. Apart from God’s intellectual gifting of Spurrier and his players, they never would have beaten UT as many times as they did.
3. The “heart” and grit of the athletes. A few years back whenever Terrell Owens played for the Philadelphia Eagles, he broke his ankle. He was told that he would miss the final two games of the season, the playoffs, and the super bowl (if Philadelphia made it). Owens ended up coming back early to play in the super bowl. Although Philadelphia lost to New England, Owens caught 9 passes for 122 yards. Whether you like Owens or not, God gave him heart and grit while he was still in his mother’s womb; for, heart and grit cannot be taught or coached (so, I hear).
4. Recognizing man’s constant need for the gospel; and God’s provision for that need. Each of these players plays so that they can make money. As you witness the training, the sweating, the pain, be reminded that Christ died to conquer the results of the Fall, including difficult labor. As you see football players toil, and hear their constant mentioning of providing for their families, remember to always run to the cross of Christ. The reason why players must play is because we are not in the Garden of Eden anymore. Christ however, the second Adam, came to restore all that Adam messed up (1 Cor. 15). Paradise (a Garden of infinite delight) is just around the corner for all those that repent and trust in Christ alone for their salvation. Enjoy the Lord through the gospel of Christ! Christians are bound for the Promised Land (a new heavens and a new earth)!
In conclusion, every time we watch a college or professional football game, or any other sporting event, the ultimate goal should be to enjoy the Lord. The only way to enjoy the Lord is to recognize His fingerprints while discarding the Fall’s fingerprints. Praise be to God that the Fall’s fingerprints have been conquered, are being conquered, and will be conquered through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
What do you think?
Chris Roberts (63)
Dave Miller (61)
Bob Hadley (48)
Debbie Kaufman (45)
dr. james willingham (44)
Les (30)
cb scott (29)
Rick Patrick (27)
Bill Mac (26)
Christiane (26)
Do you have any advice on enjoying the Lord when I kick your tail in fantasy football? LOL.
Just don’t kick my tail literally, and you can enjoy the Lord through it. I imagine that I can enjoy the Lord through losing as well; but, I won’t have to! After this ff season, maybe you can share an article on how to enjoy the Lord through losing?
How would you challenge parents to communicate this with their kids?
Mark, good question. It depends on the age of the child. I would probably start with 2 Cor. 10:5 and Phil. 4:8-9, watch a game with my child, then ask him or her what was pure, noble, etc. about the game; and what wasn’t. Then, I would ask him or her if what was pure, noble, etc. about the game can bring the athletes into a right relationship with God. The answer of course is no; for salvation is via Christ alone. If we can train our children to do this with every form of media and entertainment, we’ll raise up discerning Christians. I don’t think withdrawal from media is a viable option.
I think we’re living in a media world and we all should be media girls. (Madonna). The difference is that we should be distinctly Christian as we participate in media.
The next question is how much does the way the parent reacts to football games affect what is being taught to their children?
Nice title. Taking thoughts captive is precisely why we get to watch sports on TV, almost always for free. The advertisers get those moments to take our thoughts captive…but maybe you shut off the TV during commercials and read your Bible.
I think we merely classify football under “all things are lawful…but I will not be mastered by anything.”
How do you feel about the cheer leaders dancing so provocatively and jumping up and down on the side lines and during half time in practically their bra, panties, and knee high boots? Where is Gods glory in that?
How do you feel about the cheer leaders dancing so provocatively and jumping up and down on the side lines and during half time in practically their bra, panties, and knee high boots? Where is Gods glory in that? They are shaking more than their pom poms. I was a cheer leader in high school and I felt like I was a Christian. However I could not wait to get that suit on because I felt like I looked hot and the guys liked cheer leaders. My sister is now a cheer leader and when I see her in her little outfit I want to throw a blanket over her because I watch as men old enough to be her dad watch her and I know some of them are total perves. Well the NFL cheer leaders are wearing a lot less and a lot sexier suit that their cleavage spills out of. I realize that you can walk in walmart and see a girl half naked, but we are talking about something that we know is going to subject us to seeing this when the camera man zooms in on them. So you can turn the channel every time a commercial comes on that is alcohol and sex related but why watch it in the first place? If you are a man and you say you are a Christian then should you not forcefully put things in front of your eyes that are tempting? Or think of how you would feel if it were your daughter out there in that seductive outfit moving her body like that in public for more than her husband to look at? Their suits leave little to the imagination. To be a Christian is to be Christ like, so I’ll give an example that is so often seen on the popular face book where it shows what people like. So and so likes the bible and hooters… Or so and so likes the bible and is a Christian but their favorite shows and movies are mostly rated r for language, sex and drug reference and their favorite music is by singers who use the f word in their music and talk about killing people and having sex out of marriage. I am getting off topic now so I will stop, sorry but I was trying to make a point and ask how you feel about the cheer leaders. God does give gifts but we do not always use them how he intended.
If you all think the cheerleaders are bad at the football games, then you should consider the subliminal seduction techniques used in advertisements selling hamburgers, pizzas, etc. You all need to read The Clam Plate Orgy: Subliminal Seduction Techniques in Advertising. The guy who wrote that book lost his job as a professor in college. He and three other men in a restaurant one day ordered clams. One man asked, “Why did I order clams? I hate clams!” So did ever one of the other three. The professor looked at the placemat which was a picture of a plate of clams. He took it home, found that it was a retouched photo and on close observation with (if memory serves correctly) microscope revealed a mass of human figures (clams retouched to resemble such) in a huge orgy. He went on to exam an ad for a famous whiskey, the best selling ad in the 60s was an empty whiskey glass with a few ice cubes in it…no whiskey. He found that the interior of the ice cubes was full of the floating figures that a person sees in delerium tremens, the d.ts. A young fellow from my last pastorate attended a professional art school in a big city. His psychology textbook told the commercial artists how to put the word death in ads to sell cigarettes, words in a surreptitious manner that would prompt the hidden pathologies inherent in fallen sinners to give in to base urges. Our whole society has been given over to psychological manipulation in the commerical realm, in the political, and in most all realms in order for certain people to maintain control and profitability. In other words, how does it feel to be a sucker when you find it out?
Ashley,
The cheerleaders I can explain to my 10 year old if I have to. (We are not big into tv watching at all here). What is harder to explain are the “Christian” stars like Hannah Montana.
I’m not just talking about a child watching it, I’m talking about Christian adults as well. We no longer watch tv in my house at all because it got to the point where I had to be like ok that wasn’t good but it wasn’t really bad and well it only had small part that was questionable but for the most part it was clean and ok so all the jokes in the cartoon were funny but more for an adult but it’s ok because it was a cute movie ad my kids don’t really understand the reference…. I just can’t see Jesus sitting in the stands or on the couch watching the half time show or the many, many times the cheer leaders are zoomed in on through out side line shots dancing half naked and inappropriately to she’s my cherry pie or girls girls girls. I cant imagine him just turning his head while this went on for the sake of a good time and it’s not bad if I dont look. Before I really got serious about God I not only watched football games regularly on tv but I also attended them live. The music they play is definitely not Christian and the players are treated like idols. I can not even begin to tell you what I came out of from the world. I know I may sound extreme but shouldn’t we be? Wasn’t he and if he never changes, isn’t he? His word is pretty extreme. The world has changed but God has not. I read some articles online that pertain to tv and worldliness that I thought were very well written and explained. If anyone wants the links I’ll post them. Honestly though I am not tring to make anyone who does watch it feel bad, this is just my opinion and I wanted the opinion of the person who wrote the original post. I feel it’s never best to do anything because a human told us too or not too. We should seek what Jesus wants from us and I believe in doing that through much prayer and fasting and the strength to give up our wants for what he wants. All this about as long as God gets the glory, where is the Glory in men running down a field violently tackling each other sometimes to the point of someone ending up paralyzed or worse, while along the side lines women with no discretion cheer and dance like strippers with out a pole? Scripture for thought: Psalms 1; 1-2 blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful 2: but his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night… Galatians 5; 9-26 is also a good read I feel for this subject. I can think of several others also. I’m sorry in advace if I have offended anyone with anything I said, I just felt led to say what I have.
One more and then I promise I’ll wrap it up. 1 Timothy 2;8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, with out wrath and doubting… How can you feel your hands are holy enough to lift him up in prayer when they are the hands that could have turned it off but instead used the remote to turn on the not so holy program and which caused your eyes to veiw inappropriate things and your ears to hear inappropriate things, or the hands that paid for the ticket to such an event. We need pray diligently that God will help us to discern right from wrong and good from evil because the bible says in
Ephesians 6;12-14 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
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