YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME.
I became a follower of Jesus Christ around the age of 13. I loved God and I loved His word but I did not identify as a follower of Christ. I found my identity is soccer. I loved this sport even more than God. I found myself worshiping creation rather than the creator. I think it’s true what they say that if you look at where you spend your time you will know what it is worship. I spent hours every day practicing soccer and God was like a chore to me. The only time that I spent with Him would be the five minutes before a game when I would ask Him to help me play my best. God was my lucky rabbit’s foot and for a long time I saw him just as that. I was selected for an Olympic development team, I made one of four regional teams in the country, I was invited to youth national team camps, and I was recruited by most division 1 schools in the country. Soccer was everything to me and it was the only thing in life that I wanted to do. But God loved Me and I belonged to Him and He is Jealous for me.
The Lord Disciplines those He Loves
At 16 God sent me to the hospital with appendicitis. What should have been a routine surgery and a 4 week recovery turned into an additional 2 surgeries, 1 month in the hospital, and 9 months of sitting out of soccer.
At 17 I tore my ACL in a High School All-Star Game. I had to redshirt my freshman season of college, have a knee surgery and sit out of soccer for a year.
At 18 I tore my meniscus had to have surgery and sit out for 6 weeks. One week later I tore my meniscus again had have another surgery and sit out another 6 weeks.
At 21 I had to have two more knee surgeries and sat out 4 months of soccer
I didn’t get it, for so long I just didn’t get it. I felt sorry for myself and I didn’t understand why any of this was happening to me. With each injury I would cry out to God to comfort me and He would because God is faithful. But as soon as I was healthy I didn’t need God anymore. He tried so many times to get my attention but I was so blind. I played 16 years of soccer for my own glory and only 1 for the Lord (my last season). And as much as that saddens me I am grateful to God for the 1.
Why we do we choose these idols over the living God? Why do we exchange the truth for a lie?
