Sports Today

There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular. Luke 6:26

And the world and its cravings are passing away, but the person who does the will of God remains forever. 1 John 2:17 

“Pay attention, all of Judah, every inhabitant of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat,” Jahaziel said. “This is what the Lord says to you: Don’t be afraid or discouraged by this great army because the battle isn’t yours. It belongs to God! 2 Chron 20:14-15

Okay, do you build up your children and your grandchildren, telling them what a good job they did today in their game? We want our kids to be good athletes. We want them to try their hardest and do their best in sports as well as in their classes at school.

The good athletes are very popular. Are we encouraging our kids to live only for the approval of others?

Sports are very important to me; I get my exercise and workouts from tennis and golf and love watching grandkids compete. Watching high school, college and pro sports are recreation for me because I coached at the collegiate level.

We know the cravings of this world are passing away. How do we do the will of God in teaching our children? We know from the Bible in 1 John that the person who does the will of God remains forever.

Sports participation today, as Melodie said once in her sermon, can be how we describe our children. Sports today is sometimes out of touch with reality as far as spending money. Sports today can take our children away from worship time. YET, sports can fight obesity, which is a problem with today’s children, especially if they are always tuned in to their screens.

Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, we don’t have an answer to the questions here. We turn to you asking for your wisdom to guide us with temperance. Help us to understand that battles such as these can be won by you. Help us to turn them over to you. Amen.

Sandra Hilsabeck