Ephesians 4:1-3
As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own. Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. Try your best to let God’s Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A post on Facebook this morning noted that our high school football team gets “back to work” today. This got me thinking about sporting events – and how enjoy attending and supporting our alma mater, young friends and relatives who participate… and our community at large. It also reminded me that there are “fans” at these events who behave badly. To be honest, there are a handful of people I prefer not to sit near at sporting events, because their conduct is so off-putting. Even worse, some of these folks are active members of local area congregations who profess to be faith-filled Christians!
Some of these same folks are quick to complain noisily about calls by referees, the lack of playing time for a particular team member, and how poorly the coach does his/her job. If people spent as much time and energy on solving some of our country’s biggest problems as they do debating issues like these - or the newest uniform designs for the Arkansas Razorbacks football team - we’d be amazed at the progress that could be made!
So what does this have to do with today’s scripture passage? There are two things to glean from this:
- We must do everything we can to be patient with those who behave in an unbecoming manner. When our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ show out at sporting events, on social media, or anywhere else, we must still love them and exhibit patience – even if they try our own! If we lash out at those who are misbehaving, we have become just as unlovely – and we dishonor God. We don’t have to sit near these people, but we can’t publicly lash out – or worse yet, become one of them!
- We must check our own behavior and see where we are missing the mark. Are we behaving in a manner that is worthy of the title “Disciple of Christ?” Do we show patience and tolerance – hold our tongue and act with humility – even when we disagree with the ref’s call or the coach’s decision? When the other guy publicly speaks with hatred and untruth about our favorite political candidate, do we strike back with an equally vile comment or presentation toward his/her choice?
Just because I choose not to sit near a friend who is raucous at sporting events doesn’t mean I don’t love this person. And on occasion, I may privately speak to a friend – after careful consideration and prayer – and let him/her know I am concerned about his/her tone or others’ perception of these behaviors. But the most important thing we can do is to live by example… to behave in a manner that honors God and our allegiance to Him – and to patiently love the other guy… even when he/she is anything but lovely.
As we prepare for yet another school year and dozens of sporting events – not to mention the political campaigns that are in full force and countless other issues that are testing our mettle these days – let’s take a few minutes to study this scripture passage. Ask God to fill you with His Spirit of unity and peace – to show you how to treat others with humility, love, gentleness and patience. Call on God to help you guard your tongue and your thoughts… and to always act in a way that is worthy of His blessings. And if you find yourself needing a new seat at a sporting event, come and sit near me! I’ll be the one biting my tongue!
©2012 Debbie Robus
James 1:19-20; 26
My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things that God wants done.
If you think you are being religious, but can't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and everything you do is useless.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Sporting events provide a good arena to observe human nature. Some people are what one could describe as “fair weather” fans. They are ready to yell and cheer when their team is winning. When things slow down or the team lags behind, the fans start visiting with one another, or sitting with their hands folded in their laps… or talking/texting on their phones. But let something exciting or “big” happen on the field or court, and the fans jump to their feet as if they had been wholeheartedly following the game all along.
There are also fans who cannot seem to control themselves. Many are well-meaning… even parents or relatives and friends of team members. But they get so caught up in their own emotions that they lose sight of the bigger picture, it seems. They are quick to anger… and nothing is ever their team’s fault. It’s always the referees… or the coaches… or the other guy! The same people who faithfully fill a pew each Sunday in a local church (or maybe even lead a Bible study or Sunday-school class!) are the very same people who jump from their seats to yell and scream – or even curse or speak in a derogatory manner – at or about those involved in a sporting event!
We do this in all areas of life. We talk one way and act another. We are “fair-weather Christians” who get on the bandwagon when something exciting happens. We wave our hands and sing along at a Christian rock concert or even during praise and worship on Sunday morning. Then we lash out in anger… at family, friends, co-workers, and even people we don’t know who drive alongside us. We are quick to criticize and judge others… never recognizing that when you point one finger at someone else, three more are cocked in our own direction. We rock along with our hands in our lap… then when a crisis occurs, we open our Bibles, start praying – and for some - dare to darken the doors of a church sanctuary for the first time in weeks/months/years!
I know these things happen, because I do some of them, too. We need to pay attention to these verses in James… and we need to examine our behavior at every turn. I know we all think snappy comebacks are cool… but many of us would do well to stop and think a little bit about what we are going to say before we speak. Words spoken in anger and frustration are hard to retract – and often very hurtful and unbecoming.
If we spent a little more time being a fulltime Christian instead of a “fair-weather” participant, we might have a better shot at keeping our behaviors in check… along with our anger and our judgments. And… more of the good things of God’s kingdom might actually get done in the process. Isn’t it surely worth a shot?!
©2011 Debbie Robus
