Game of a Lifetime

Controlled anger against sin and genuine love may dwell in the same heart at the same time and be directed toward the same person. It is legitimate for us to be angry with our children over genuine disobedience. At the same time, we must not express that anger in sinful ways (yelling, screaming, nastiness, irritation, etc.) but in loving ways for the good of our children.  Wayne Mack

I went to my nephew’s football game last night.  As I was watching the game I started hearing someone yelling on the sidelines.  You could hear this guy over everyone in the stands.  This guy was yelling and swinging his arms and basically making a spectacle of himself and not in a good way. 

So I am sitting in the bleachers trying to watch the game and this guy keeps walking back and forth pacing and every once in a while he would stop and do some prolonged yelling.  I overheard someone behind me in the stands tell someone that this guy was going to have a heart attack if he kept it up.  This guy wasn’t just yelling to hear himself yell, he was yelling at people.  You have probably guessed by now that the person doing all of this was the other team’s coach. 

I started thinking about what this guy is teaching these students standing on the sidelines.  When one of them messed up a play he would get right in the kid’s face and yell and berate him in front of the whole team and everyone in the stands.  Every time he did it I cringed.  The sad part is these kids probably look up to this guy and want to be “just like him”.  He is doing a good job of teaching them that yelling and arm swinging and being obnoxious is an appropriate way to behave.

If you think about it this guy is not the only one who is teaching kids how to behave in life.  Every one of us has a responsibility to younger people to teach them right from wrong, love others, and then share the good news of Jesus with them.  If we lose our temper or say things hurtful and harmful to anyone else, not just kids, we have failed in our responsibility as a Christian to show others who Jesus really is.  

We are playing the game of a lifetime and how we play it will mean the difference in our salvation and if we interact with anyone on a daily basis; we are affecting their lives for eternity too. If we step back and put ourselves in the other persons shoes, what kind of job are we doing.  Are we like this guy who yelled and berated and belittled his players?  I wanted to jump over the fence and get in the middle of the team and tell them this is not the way it is supposed to be.  If this guy doesn’t love you, there is Someone who does.

What kind of job are you doing in showing others the love of Christ?  If we put ourselves in another’s shoes and don’t like what we see, that is our wake up call to do something about it.  If we ever hope to make a difference in this life, we must be the first to change.      

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I am guilty of not expressing the kind of love You show me.  Help me look past another person’s faults to the broken person within who may have never seen You.  I want to show others You in all my actions.  I also pray for that coach who is teaching students how they should behave.  His behavior was not a good example of how we are to live.  I praise You for your loving kindness and for showing and revealing Yourself to me in so many ways.  You are amazing!  

Scripture:   Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard rather than the shout of a ruler of fools.  Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.”  Ecclesiastes 9:17-18

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

“If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.  Matthew 18:6-9