“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.” — Philippians 4:8
What are we talking about?
I love talking about sports. This is the perfect time of the year for it! The MLB playoffs have started and there was even an extra game this year, college football has great matchups, Tiger Woods won again, and the NBA is right around the corner. Who doesn’t want to talk about the pennant chase or if Tiger is really back? I feel like I could talk about this stuff all day long.
Listening to a podcast this week, I was struck with how easy it is to hide Jesus from our daily conversations. This then sparks the question of why. Are we too nervous? Do we feel like we don’t know enough? Does the world please us more than Jesus does?
There is nothing wrong with enjoying the things of the world. But nothing takes precedence over the joy of the Lord. It is not sex or drugs but everyday successes that steal it. Things like job promotions, having a nice car or a great relationship.
C.S. Lewis explains this struggle:
“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
So, as we enjoy another day, let’s make sure we focus on eternal things. Hopefully that can spark a conversation to plant a seed.
— Reid Carper
If you would like to submit a reader devotional, please email all submissions to jason@sportsspectrum.com.
