November 30th,2013 was a special day.
Rivalry week.
This is the Saturday in the sports world that every fan waits for.
This is the Saturday that team records are cast aside for pride to be your rival school.
One of the biggest games on this day was between the #1 Alabama vs #4 Auburn.
Millions of people were glued to their television sets as the game ended in one of the most epic fashions ever.
To have an idea of how much influence this game has on the teams’ fan bases, news stations all over the state Alabama were reporting arrests from the stadium as well as game parties. In one story, a woman rooting for Alabama shot and killed someone in her game party because “they did not take the loss serious enough”.
ESPN posted this clip of other fan reactions to the final play.
(click)
I pick on sports because I have been one of those people.
The first show I remember growing up watching was SportsCenter.
I have been cheering for teams since I was 5 years old.
Through all the ups and (mostly) downs, I rode the roller coaster of what it meant to be a fanatic.
But it wasn’t until this Saturday that the Lord asked me this question, “What influences you?”
In sitting on this thought, some of the things that I have allowed to influence my life came up.
Most notably was sports.
It wasn’t uncommon for the Miami Dolphins to lose and I would mope around for 3-4 days. I would fly off the handle and boneheaded play or scream wildly at the sight of a perfectly executed score. It wasn’t until the Lord asked me that I realized the grip of influence sports has played in my life.
I think back at all the times I wore my jersey to church, anxiously waiting for the pastor to finish their sermon so I can run home to catch the game. Or the times my ESPN app on my phone would blast the jingle of a SportsCenter update in the midst of praying over those in need. Or the times I would sneak out of a conversation to check through my twitter feed to catch an update on what my favorite team is doing. Or the times that the only place a conversation went to was about my fantasy football team. Or the times…
I think you get it.
Some of you can relate.
For others it may substitute sports for something else(cars, shopping, video games, music, etc.)
I don’t want to be influenced by things of this world.
1 Cor 15:33 – Bad company corrupts good morals.
For far too long I’ve allowed sports, as well as other things, to influence me to become someone I do not want to be.
I believe there is a balance in being a sports fan that can be achieved. However, when you allow sports(or anything else) to influence your life, you can easily become a slave to it.
Freedom is why Christ set us free.
Boomtown.
