Is football a religion?
It has holy places and priests. It has laws, symbols, and icons. It even has gods. By almost any measure football can be defined as a religion.
In the South football more than qualifies as a religion. It is a way of life. People eat, drink, and sleep it. It stirs passion like nothing else. Nothing else even comes close. There is a preoccupation 365 days a year with it, and when the actual season comes around football becomes an absolute obsession.
This presents a problem for those of us who love the Lord. It’s easy for us to get swept up in all the hysteria. A friend of mine decided he would give it up. He’s an Auburn alum and is one of the biggest fans of Auburn football I know. But he left it. Quit following Auburn football cold turkey. Doesn’t even watch a game anymore. Why? It had become too much.
I understand. Growing up in the state of Alabama I know exactly where he’s coming from. It can easily become an all-consuming thing in that environment.
Perhaps you can relate to him as well. You know how football can take control of your heart and life. And while you’re excited about the season that’s about to kick off, it makes you just a bit nervous at the same time. Perhaps you vowed at the end of last season to not let football dominate your life again, but the negative feelings have worn off. The season is about to begin and you’re craving football now just as much as you ever have.
What do you do about it? Let me suggest a few preseason suggestions that could help.
Remember it’s just a game. It’s a simple thing to do, but this kind of mental exercise can actually help. Take a deep breath and think about what this really is.
Did you know that the two most popular sports worldwide are soccer and Formula One racing? Incredible, isn’t it! With all due respect to our members who actually enjoy watching a match, who can watch soccer for two hours straight?! And Formula One! Are you kidding me! More people watched their last race than the Super Bowl last year? That’s crazy!
Sometimes seeing other people’s idolatry helps us to put our own into perspective. Football is not life and death. It’s just a game.
Set limits. Keep a log the first week of the football season. Try to keep track of how many hours you…
· Listen to sports talk radio
· Read newspapers, magazines, and stuff on the Internet
· View sports/news programs on TV
· Spend talking about football with others
· Watch the games themselves
Add all that up and then resolve to cut it in half. Reducing the sheer volume of time and energy spent can only help.
Work on your relationship with God. Once you’ve cut those hours in half, use that time to pray, study your Bible, and worship. The time you spent listening to football talk on the radio could be used to listen to sermons. The time you spent reading about football could be used to read the Bible. If you cut out Monday Night Football (or some other game you would watch regularly) you use that time to go to Gospel Meetings.
Consider your legacy. The influence we possess on our children regarding sports is profound (especially for fathers). The reason football is king in the South is because a fanaticism over it has slowly evolved and been passed down from generation to generation.
Do we really want to contribute to this legacy? Is this what we want for our children and grandchildren? Or do we want to demonstrate that God is king and seek to create a counter-cultural environment in our homes where instead of being fanatical about a game we’re fanatical about eternal matters.
But if nothing works at reining in your obsession, you might have to just—
Cut the cord! Could you do what my friend did and quit football altogether? If this seems too much to even consider, then you have a real problem! Nothing is too important for us to give up, least of all football. If you’ve become so wrapped up in a game that the mere suggestion of giving it up seems impossible, you need to think long and hard about what kind of disciple you have become.
He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. Matthew 10:37-38
~ by David Maxson