Fan and Follower

Did you hear the Super Bowl was played this weekend? That may sound confusing as the NFL season just kicked off, but in Iowa we had our state's biggest game. With no professional teams to cheer for the most anticipated game of the season is the battle between the Iowa State Cyclones and Iowa Hawkeyes. It took place yesterday in Iowa City and much to my dismay the hometown Hawks came out with a victory.

We are a Cyclone house for the most part, but our two little guys are breaking the trend and sporting the black and gold. Needless to say we had a little trash talking going on throughout the week. Like any good fan, we were confident our team would win.

So the game came and went. There were moments of joy and frustration for both sides, but in the end our little guys had the bragging rights. They were excited and though I was disappointed, life moved on and as it did God reminded me of a truth.

When it comes to sports, we are to be fans. We can cheer and wear our team's colors. We can even get excited when they do well and disappointed when they lose, but we must keep it all in perspective.

Yesterday during halftime of the game I made my way to the kitchen and got the dishes done. As I finished the job, a thought entered my mind: I hadn't turned the radio show on to listen to the analysis. I instantly said a quick prayer, "Thank you Lord."

You see, there have been times in my life when sports were too important. I had to know all the details, hear all the commentary and read all the stories. I wasn't just a fan of my team, I was a follower. Back then a loss like yesterday's would have left me miserable today.

Thankfully, I no longer "follow" the Cyclones, but I follow Jesus. Matthew 4:19 says, "And He (Jesus) said to them, 'Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.'"

Friend, kept in perspective sports can be a great thing. They not only provide joy, but teach countless lessons and paint pictures of spiritual truths. But if they become the object of our focus, we're going to get in trouble.

We need to follow the One who knows where we need to go. We need to set our minds on Him and things above. The fruit of His Spirit brings true joy that will never fade when a season ends and His peace trumps the pain a loss can bring.

I believe we can be a fan of sports while we are following Christ, but we must keep it all in check or we may be tempted to become a fan of Jesus while we follow our team.