Something to Cheer About

It was 5:30, and the orange hues of the sky above Bryant-Denny painted the prettiest picture I had ever seen.  I was praying as Wes Byrum aligned his kicking foot with the South endzone, and I knew in my heart that it was over.  As the ball lofted toward the goalpost—up,up, up then down and true—my head lowered and my heart sunk when fear became reality.  Auburn 28, Alabama 27.  
There was a stillness in the place, like the mist of the dawn that hovers over a tranquil lake.  Almost one-hundred thousand people stood stunned, restless in the raging assurance that victory would not be found today.  There was no noise, other than the roar of the enemy waving their orange and blue shakers and screaming their battle cry. 
Disbelief?  Yes.  Gut-wrenching?  Yes.  Hurt?  Most certainly.  The one thing that I feared most was about to happen: Alabama was going to lose to Auburn. 
As I marched back to my car like a defeated soldier, I whispered to myself, “I’ll never get over this.”  The pain that I felt was almost too great of a burden to bear.  In so many ways, I felt as though I had somehow lost.  I was part of the team, part of the mania and obsession we call Alabama football. 
For the next two weeks, I didn’t want to turn on the television.  I didn’t want to hear about the big loss, of how we squandered a 24-point lead to throw it all away at the end.  I thought that if I simply ignored it that all the hurt might go away.  Weeks later, I still found myself replaying the game—the parts of it that really mattered anyway.  A dropped pass here, a fumble there, a bounce of the football, an errant play by one of our defenders that could have been different.  I even considered the fact that it might have simply been a dream and that one day I was going to wake up. 
People who don’t follow football or at least those who don’t follow it the way we do in the South don’t understand.  It’s just a silly game to them.  The Iron Bowl doesn’t really matter that much.  They might consider us lunatics for becoming so obsessed with Alabama and Auburn.  And in many ways, they’re right. 
After the crushing loss, I began to consider the importance of football in my life.  I had grown up an Alabama fan, attending games, spending my time watching it on TV, worrying, shouting, screaming, cursing, hurting, and celebrating.  I will estimate that at least five years of my life have been taken away from the anxiety it has caused me.  And if the trend keeps up, I’ll be lucky to make it to fifty. 
As an Alabama fan, there is but one name that towers above all others.  Bear Bryant.  He is the quintessential coach—rugged, hard-nosed, tactical, witty, strong, and reverent.  He’s like your grandfather, only cooler.    His face has been tattooed on bodies, his picture hung on ten thousand walls.  If Bryant was a mythological god, his name would be Zeus.  I will have to boldly admit, there are times when I have been brought to tears by the mere sound of his voice, as if he had some greater insight into the human condition than most of us mortals. 
But after the Auburn loss, things slowly began to change in me.  As I began to unravel my desperate love for Alabama football—asking myself why and if it’s all worth it—I began to realize that my passion simply was in the wrong place.  It mattered to me too much.  Amid all of the screaming and groaning, I had lost sight of something that is very important—that God is much greater than football.  God alone is worthy to be praised, even more so than Bear Bryant. 
I pondered greatly the extent of my screaming and cheering.  I wondered when the last time it was that I cried when God spoke to me.  I asked myself, “Why do I get so angry when we lose and cheer so mightily when we win?”  This begged the question, “Why do I not celebrate like this in church?”  Why do we not scream and pray and long for victory in Christ like we do on the football fields of our lives?  At last, I came to a wonderful conclusion:  that the fear of losing is so great that these emotions are brought out in all of us.  A cheer of victory is simply a recognition that the fear of losing is over. 
Life presents a much more difficult game.  The stakes are higher, and the battleground is the mind.  There is no time for time-outs, no place for referees, and the battle is perpetual.  It is Satan versus God, and whether we like it or not, we are all part of the struggle, we are all players in the game.  The most reassuring thing that God has revealed to us is that the victory has already been won before the battle was ever fought.  Losing the overall battle is not a consideration. 
Therefore, our resounding battle cry should be “Victory in Jesus” instead of our own collegiate anthems.  Instead of being fixated on football, we should fix our eyes upon Jesus.  We should put on the armor of God more than we do our favorite team’s jerseys.  We should have the Ten Commandments hung in our homes with more pride than the precious moments of our greatest games. 
Forasmuch as I love Alabama football, I have to catch myself before it becomes an idol.  At the end of the day, it’s just a game.  We have to continue to remind ourselves of this fact, although there still remains great value in athletics.  The greatest part of our games is not winning or even championships, but the greater learning we can receive as part and parcel to being participants, fans, and coaches.  God uses even our athletic pursuits to bring us closer to him, to teach us lessons about how to live life in this important training ground for the real battles we will eventually face. 
What, then, should we celebrate?  The real celebration occurs in life when a new believer accepts Christ as his personal savior.  This should give us something to cheer about, something to raise our hands heavenward in utter joy—as if we have scored the winning touchdown.  The real loss is when we lose a brother and sister to Satan for eternity.  This gives us reason to hang our heads in defeat as we are walking back to the car from the funeral ceremony of someone who never knew what it was like to taste Christ just once. 
Though we may cry, we simply cannot dwell on our losses.   We have to hit the recruiting trail as hard as we can, searching for lost sheep to bring them back to the fray.  And so we ask ourselves the all-important questions, “Are we following Christ the way we are following football?  Do we tune into the Good News of the Gospel as much as we are turning in to Sportscenter?  Is God on our Fantasy team?  Have we applied Matthew 6:25, urging us “do not worry,” to our football obsessions?  Are we considering the green pastures of Christ instead of the green grass of the ballfield?  Are we boasting about the Lord instead of our ball team?  Most of us agree that God is greater than football.  Maybe we should start acting like it. 

Who are you?

The world says you're a loser.  You tell yourself all the time that you're a failure.  Your girlfriend tells you you're selfish.  Your dad tells you you'll never make anything in life.  Your boss tells you you're not doing a good enough job.  The world says that there is no hope for you.  Satan tells you that you will never get over your past.  But God has a much different view of you. 

As believers and followers of Christ, one of the first things we should realize is that what God thinks of us is much different than the way we typically view ourselves or how the world views us.  We have to start seeing ourselves the way God sees us.  We have to be the people that the Bible tells us we are.  John 1:12-13 offers, "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." 
The Bible tells us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.  (Philippians 4:13) The Bible says that there is hope when it seems that all hope is lost.  (Romans 5:2) The Bible says that we have been forgiven, made clean, and justified by the blood of Jesus. (Romans 3:24)  The Bible says that God has a plan for us to prosper. (Jeremiah 29:11)  The Bible says that the Spirit of God is within us.  (1 Corinthians 3:16) The Bible says that the kingdom of God is here and in our midst. (Luke 17:21) 
When are we going to stop thinking about all of the negative things in our life and take on the mind of Christ?  When are we going to stop fearing our giants and start facing them?  1 Samuel 17:47 says that "the battle is the Lord's."  Today it is time to let him do the fighting for us. 

Commitment

In most civilizations, marriage is considered a sacred institution that involves the union of two parties, under God, who vow to commit themselves to one another for life.  Americans have become accustomed to ceremonies that involve the exchanging of rings, the recitation of vows, and a litany of other ceremonial offerings, such as the reading of scripture and the lighting of candles.  Invitees may also enjoy some of the great classical masterpieces, such as Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring and Canon in D.  The American church has done much to increase the grandeur of the wedding ceremony, as evident in the requisite planning and preparing for every minute detail, from the guest list to wedding cake and thank-you cards.

What is sorely missed throughout all of the hoopla is the genuine commitment of two people to become one in flesh—the sacred unification of two souls.  The American wedding has become much more about pomp and circumstance than it is about God.  We have failed to underscore the commitment and accountability that this decision necessitates, and therefore we discover our divorce rates at jaw-dropping frequency. 

It’s about time that we began to concentrate on the true value of marriage as a sacred institution.  It’s high time we put God first in our wedding ceremonies, making him the centerpiece of our marriages and lives together.  The wedding ceremony should be viewed as the beginning of two people’s lives together, walking hand in hand daily in the direction of Christ’s love.   Because we have failed to view marriage in this high of a regard, we often find ourselves to be lukewarm in our commitment to our spouses.  We lack passion and commitment and thus our lives together become a drudgery instead of a place of rest. 

This realization can be paralleled to our Christian walk, which begs the question, “Why do we continue to be lukewarm Christians?”  Why do we continually find ourselves slipping back into the same old routines that were characteristic of our former life before we came to know the truth of Christ?  It is because we do not love God to the extent that we are willing to submit to a level of commitment that equals that of marriage.  It is because we have not made a genuine vow to him.  We are not passionate enough about our faith to forsake all things for the sake of Christ, and so we continue to selfishly cling to the things that give us the greatest pleasure.  Letting go of our former selves is something that we simply do not wish to do, and we fail to give God 100%.  But God doesn’t want merely a percentage of our lives.  He wants all of us. 

What Men Want

All men have a bit of Neanderthal in them.  This doesn’t mean that we always behave like cavemen (sometimes we do), but we all possess a certain dominant and adventurous spirit of caretaking for our loved ones.  We still feel the resounding need to go into the wilderness to hunt and gather for our families.  In short, men are wired to be providers. 

What this necessitates in men is a burning desire to be respected by their partners.  Above all, men want to be respected and to know that their partner believes in them.  This is accomplished through audible messages.  While women often want to be shown affection (opening the car door, cuddling on the couch, flowers, etc.), men want to hear affection, i.e. “I believe in you,”  “I respect you,” “I love you,” and “I will never leave you.” 

Respect is man’s greatest need. When a woman gives a man support and respect, a man’s soul bursts with delight and he feels as if he can conquer the world.   Conversely, trouble begins to brew in relationships when a man doesn’t feel that he is being respected by the other party.  Ephesians 5:33 offers, "the wife must respect her husband."  Showing a man respect also builds trust, which is crucial component to any loving relationship.   

The “Outdated” Authority

In today’s world, our sources of information vary to extremes.  Conservative Republicans rely heavily on Fox News for information and commentary relating to political issues.  Democrats and progressives lean toward MSNBC, The Huffington Post, and other outlets to find answers.  Still others tune in to Oprah and Dr. Phil, pick up books by scientists, professors, theologians, and commentators, and rely on today’s horoscope to better understand their lives.  It seems almost natural to pursue these secular avenues to make sense of it all.  We take serious note of the newest scientific conclusions or societal changes in sexuality, political and economic theories, and morality and even rely on family and friends for life’s toughest challenges. 

However misguided or accurate many of these sources may be, we nod our heads in affirmation if these ideas and theories seem “right,” especially if they conform to our lifestyles, no matter how upright or hedonistic.  Dallas Willard’s The Divine Conspiracy bears down on the ill and far-reaching effects of distorted ideas and world views.  They often lead to anguish and deceit—even death.  Morality itself is being shaped by all-encompassing views, manifested in a world of opinions.  

Many purport to be or are considered “the” authority on a particular issue or set of issues.  If  we are looking for a good account of the Civil War, we might turn to the work of Shelby Foote.  If we want to know something about cooking, Emeril certainly would be a fantastic instructor.   I could go on and on with other examples. 

At best, scientists, professionals, and others who are commonly known as “authorities” have only a limited knowledge of a particular subject.  New discoveries are made every day, and what we thought we knew can often be merely the tip of the iceberg.  Who can deny that there is much, much more to know about the possibilities of medicine?  Have we exhausted the limits of technology, exploration, or psychology?  We have not even begun to breakthrough in these arenas. 

We have become so secularized and Americanized in our thinking that we tend to consider the teachings of Jesus as applied to our daily life to be somewhat obscure or outdated.  Sure, Jesus is not a great authority on preparing a great steak or building a website.  But very often we tend to place Christ in a corner as someone who is only concerned about spiritual and eternal issues, if we even consider him the authority at all. 

But Christ is vitally concerned about infiltrating into our very existence, into our work, relationships, and interaction with other human beings.   He is not only the authority on issues of Providence, he is the master teacher in the subject of life.  A quick glimpse of the malice and sufferings of man provides direct evidence that we are simply not good at living life.  The Bible should serve as our “How-to” book, or our “Life for Dummies.”  But it is more authoritative and compelling than that.  It explains why and for what and how much.  It is the place we derive meaning and daily sustenance.  It is our hope and our comfort when life simply doesn’t go the way we planned. 

After Jesus finished the Sermon on the Mount, the Bible says that the crowds were “amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”  See Matthew 7:28.   When discussing the complexities of life, Jesus is the authority.  He does not purport to have all of the answers—he is the answer!  He is the authority. 

Ultimately, the truth of Jesus teachings remains constant while society and theory is ever-changing.  Colossians 2:8 offers, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than Christ.”  Which begs the question—“How does life turn out for us outside the truth of Christ?”