Each week there is a huge amount of sports we can watch. Soccer, State of Origin Rugby League, Rugby Union, AFL. I wonder why these different kinds of football attract so much interest. Is it the distraction? I remember one person telling me it is like people need to go to the sporting temple to worship. Are people simply seeking to avoid the normal pressures and obligations of life?
May be it is their desire to identify with a team. I am completely amazed at what it costs to buy the team colours and equally amazed by just how many people have. We enjoy the opportunity of taking sides, making a choice and backing our team. Perhaps it’s the spectacle of teamwork of individuals playing as one that inspires us.
No doubt there are many reasons why some like, and others dislike, football, but one thing’s for sure that each weekend there is still plenty of action to come. Money is being exchanged as many try to predict the outcomes of these different competitions.
Though I enjoy watching football I’m very conscious that being a spectator is nowhere near as satisfying as being a player. Although these days watching certainly results in fewer injuries and stiff muscles.
When God calls upon us to belong to His team he wants us to play our part in carrying out His purposes. And with Jesus as our captain we are already assured of the final victory. Some might ask why bother playing, why not just wait till the final siren and get the prize? But that misses the point. We train and we play because God is working out His purposes through us. We want more people to know they can be part of the same team. Working as a team member is one of life’s great joys.
Wonderfully there is a place in God’s team available to all kinds of people; men and women, young and old, rich and poor. There are no former players in God’s team. It will never be a past memory of faded glory, rather an ongoing experience.
The work of serving on God’s team, living as God’s people and reflecting God’s love may not receive the same publicity and accolades of those who win football games (it should be noted how short lived their praise can be) but serving God never escapes the notice and praise of God.
When we live for God we know that He is in our grandstand watching over us and cheering us on. This knowledge and privilege will give us purpose and assurance of just how much God values us.