“You shall have no other gods before me.” — Exodus 20:3
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A phrase often heard throughout college football recruiting is, “What star is he?” They’re asking if a player is a three-, four- or five-star recruit. We want to know because we believe the more stars an athlete has, the better player he’ll be when he gets to the college he chooses.
It’s amazing how much people obsess over these stars. Recruiting websites have turned this into a big business and it’s all because of us, the fans. Some fans lose sleep over recruits. Some get upset over games won and games lost. Many fans spend money they don’t have on things they don’t need to impress people they don’t even like. In the end, fans put these young men and coaches on pedestals that are impossible to reach.
Earlier this year, I spent a few minutes with a coach talking about this very thing. And this statement was made: “This is a great game, but it is a horrible god.” In the Book of Exodus, the Ten Commandments remind us we are to have no other gods before Him.
So let me encourage you as the next football season draws near. There is nothing wrong with being a fan or cheering on your team. Just remember what Psalm 22:3 says: “Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises.” Our worship to Him is like a sweet fragrance to Him. Cheer on your team, but worship only the living King — Jesus!
— Scott Nicholson, Mississippi State football chaplain
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