I am getting old and I know it . The realization becomes evident in numerous gridiron situations. For instance I took the Clemson National Championship loss in stride. I summed it up with these assessments:
We lost to a superior team … that night.
The pressure of maintaining a winning streak is over.
Character is determined clearly in a loss well taken.
And it’s a game. Someone wins. Someone loses. That’s why it’s played.
The Super Bowl is another case in point. It is overshadowed, in my opinion by, excessive hype, a stress on consumerism and money, and greedy and unscrupulous individuals and corporations telling us what we like and don’t like, what we want and don’t want, blurring the lines between good and evil and in this case advocating this year …”what’s done in Miami, stays in Miami” all in the name of …Thee Almighty Dollar.
The Super Bowl is a time to play football and determine the top team on that particular year. This is the purpose of the football game. As a wise speaker at Caswell said about 100 years ago when I was a youth minister…..the objective is to “keep the main thing the main thing”. The Super Bowl is not just a football game anymore. In an attempt to make a lot of money and influence the mindsets of many it has become the perfect example of an event that has lost its perspective.
The same advice applies to those of us who are believers. We get caught up in petty arguments about the faith. We join the Kingdom Patrol and begin trying to determine who’s in and who’s out when it comes to eternal matters. We put the opinions of prominent Christian speakers and preachers on the same level as Holy Scripture. We become concerned with relevance and outward appearances rather than cultivating and nourishing the spirit of God within. We worry about labels as if “Christian” isn’t good enough and we lose sight of the main focus of our faith ….. Becoming the salt and light of Christ in the world and leaving the judgment up to God. We must keep in mind from the pulpit to the pew that our goal is to develop relationships with others and be a light to those seeking life and real purpose as we maintain a focus on the one who created and who made Himself known to us in His son Jesus. Never forget the words of our Savior in Matthew Chapter 6 Verse 33…”Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you”. Our priority in life is to put God and his endeavors first. Sooooo….
Keep the main thing… the main thing. The Super Bowl is about football .
College football is about making the most of opportunities, character development and perhaps preparation for one’s life purpose and next steps.
And these words from the apostle Paul sum it up pertaining to the main thing for us as followers:
Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God……And whatever you do , whether in word or deed do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to the Father through Him . (Colossians 4:1-3 , 17 NIV)
Andy O.