Last night was a wild night for two sports cities as Houston and Philadelphia took center stage against each other in two different sports at the same time.
In Houston, for Thursday Night Football, the Texans hosted the Eagles but lost 29-17 as the Eagles moved to 8-0. Meanwhile in Philadelphia, the Phillies were home against the Astros in Game 5 of the World Series but lost 3-2 as the Astros took a 3-2 Series lead.
Both games were entertaining and the Texans actually kept things interesting, despite most people thinking the Eagles would blow them out. Assuming the fan bases in Houston and Philadelphia love both of their teams in each sport, I can't help but think about the challenge they were up against trying to watch both games at the same time.
Even though two TVs can help with that, and the World Series is a bigger event, the reality is, their sports fandom was definitely put to the test. It's difficult to be all-in on both games when they were playing at the same time!
Fan bases in each city are most likely loyal to each franchise, so I'm sure they were feeling the tension of both games attempting to grab their attention and affection. They didn't want to miss out on one game because they were watching the other one, but that was the reality they faced.
I imagine the following questions swirled around in each fan's head…
Do I need to commit to one game?
What game do I care about more?
What game should I focus on?
Do I watch one game first and save the other on DVR to watch later?
Which team takes priority?
Which team matters more to me?
What game is more important in the bigger scheme of things?
Which game should the volume be on and which one should be muted?
Being a sports fan sure is tough! HA! But seriously, two games were pulling fans back and forth and the truth is, our eyes and mind can't process them both at once, even if we try.
As crazy as this was for Houston and Philadelphia sports fans, I believe this tension of going back and forth can parallel what we often experience with our faith journey.
Two worlds fight for our attention. We can’t be all-in with our eyes fixed on Jesus when we’re distracted and enticed by the world. Our hearts can’t be fully committed to God and His kingdom when the temptations of the world keep pulling us away.
Unfortunately, if we still find the world intriguing and we aren’t willing to turn off the “other game,” then we aren't completely embracing all that is offered when we have a singular focus on God and His kingdom.
1 John 2:15-17 (NLT) warns us, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”
Every day, our commitment to Jesus is challenged and our allegiance is put to the test as we feel the pull toward different directions. We may struggle to go back and forth for a while, but ultimately we know, there is one way that leads to life. Whatever the world offers us is just temporary satisfaction.
Colossians 3:2 (AMP) tells us to “Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above , not on things that are on the earth .”
Today, let’s evaluate our lives and ask ourselves…
What am I truly committed to?
What do I care about more?
What should I focus on?
What needs to take priority?
What voices do I need to mute?
What is more important in the bigger scheme of things?
What matters more to me? As Jesus says, in Matthew 22:37 (NLT), "...“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind..." As sports fans, we have multiple teams to follow, love, and cheer for, but as a disciple of Jesus, He’s the only One we need to focus on because He’s the only One worthy of our full attention and affection. I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for everlasting life. I pray my eyes would stop drifting toward what the world has to offer and remain completely committed to You. Please help me keep my mind focused on the things above instead of temporary things, and to put my full attention and affection toward You instead of going back and forth. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PACKS:
1. In what ways do you feel the world enticing you and distracting you? 2. What “game” do you need to turn off so you can keep your eyes fixed on Jesus?
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