The Idol of Youth Sports
What we prioritize in life is a great indicator of what we worship. At times, our profession of Christ as the greatest desire of our life is betrayed by our actions. And many times, we attempt to justify the very actions that accuse us of being idolators. Because if you want to see someone go into defense mode, just try and take away their idol. I know that to even think about speaking or writing to people about rethinking their priorities is akin to trying to take a piece of raw meat away from a hungry animal. However, I believe that as Christians it is crucial that we contemplate this issue.
An idol is anything that we place more value upon than God. And one of the biggest idols in our world today is sports. Particularly when it comes to our children. Thankfully, by His grace, the Lord saved my wife and I when our children were very young. Lacy and I made a commitment to the Lord that our children’s extra curricular activities would not ever take precidence over the worship of God.
We were put to the test fairly quickly. Our son Andy was playing his first year of football on the 3rd grade team. After his tryout, the coach told us that Andy would most definitely be one of his starters. He said he saw that our son was very athletic at a young age and would have a bright future in football. We later found out that his football practices were held on each week day afternoon at 6 PM, including Wednesdays. This happened to be the exact time that our mid week evening church Bible studies began.
We had a choice to make. We could have justified letting Andy practice by saying, “It’s only for a few months. And besides, it’s not like he will be missing Sunday morning.” But that was not the path we took. At the next practice, I met with the coach and shared with him that Andy would not be able to attend practices on Wednesday, because we had church at that time. The coach seemed to be understanding.
However, when game day came around, Andy did not start the game like the coach said he would. In fact, he did not get to play at all. As the season progressed, Andy would get to play maybe for a minute or so each game, but that was it. It was clear that our son was being punished for not being present for Wednesday night practices.
As our children have gotten older, they have continued to be involved in many different sports teams and activities. And we have seen the heartbreak on our children’s faces at times when they have been slighted by coaches due to our decision. We have even had Christian friends at times attempt to convince us to compromise our stance. And most of the time, their justification is, “It’s not like they are missing Sunday morning.”
Jesus said many times that believers would be persecuted for following Him. In fact, I would say that persecution by the world is one of the identifying marks in a Christian’s life. The definition of persecution is to be ill treated or treated in hostility by someone. So within those parameters, persecution has a broad spectrum. Persecution can be not being accepted or cast out of a group for your profession of Christ. Or in the most extreme cases, it can lead to death. Persecution marks the life of a true Christian. That is why Peter said that we should rejoice when we are persecuted for the name of Christ.
“But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.” 1 Peter 4:13-14.
Jesus said that persecution was something that was to be expected by believers. And that when persecuted, we should be joyful. Because when persecution comes in the life of a Christian for standing firm for Christ, it is because they have chosen to swim against what is popular in society, for the glory of God.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.” Matthew 5:11-12.
Granted, Christians are not to look for persecution. Honestly, I think anyone who went around looking for ways to be persecuted would need to check into a funny farm. Because persecution is not pleasant. Rather, persecution for a believer comes, not because they seek it, but because they choose the path less traveled in Christ instead of the Vanity Fair of the world. Christian persecution usually comes any time that believers place the things of the world second to Christ.
But when Jesus says that believers will be persecuted for His name, what exactly does He mean? What does it look like to be persecuted for Christ?
There are many believers who view Christian persecution as sickness, job loss, financial hardships, and a lack of material things. But if these maladies do not come about or have been caused due to living for Christ, then they are not persecutions, but just the effects of living in a fallen world. The rain falls on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). It is important to make this point, because the persecutions that Jesus said believers would experience are not just hardships, but they come solely from a believers life of obedience to Him.
With that distinction made, there are very few professing Christians living in the United States who are experiencing true persecution due to their obedience to Christ. Keep in mind, we are not talking about hardships. Because unfortunately, we all experience hardships in this life. We are talking about hardships that are brought on because of living for Christ. And the reason that we see so few Christians experiencing this type of persecution in our nation is because there is little to no separation from the world in their lives. The world does not desire Christ to be the top priority in life. And unfortunately, neither do many professing believers.
Christians are commanded to be in the world, but not of the world (Romans 12:2). That means that there are to be lines of separation in our lives. We are not commanded to disguise ourselves to look like the world in order to win the world. Too many churches today have bought into that lie, and their church services, which look more like a rock concert than true worship, bear the proof. Rather, Christians are to be in the world, but there is to be a noticeable difference. That is to say that the way that believers live their lives should be a contradiction and a curiosity to the world.
The true Christian cannot listen to or watch the same entertainment as the world, because of their love of Christ. The true Christian cannot dress the same as the world, because of their love of Christ. The true Christian cannot use the same crude language of the world or take part in sinful pastimes, because of their love for Christ. And the Christian will at times, forbid their children from attending certain events that are scheduled during times of worship, due to their love for Christ.
Is it a sin to occasionally miss mid week church or Sunday services? Absolutely not. Sometimes there are things that prevent us from temporarily gathering with the church. But compromise is a slippery slope. It’s always a struggle for those who love Jesus to ever choose to neglect any opportunity to gather with the saints and worship our Lord. Because for the true believer, gathering with believers and worshipping Christ is the heart cry of their soul. But the struggle gets to be less and less the more compromise is let in.
I know that in the world’s eyes, it is a praiseworthy thing for parents to do anything possible to promote and seek the advancement their children’s opportunities in sports and education. And these pursuits in and of themselves are not bad things. The problem arises when these pursuits become ultimate. Meaning that they are seen as a top priority.
Ive heard Christians attempt to justify neglecting the worship of God and gathering together with other believers for worship by calling the ball field or the dance recital “their mission field.” And while it is a good thing for believers to go to unbelievers in order to be a light for Christ, when it comes at the expense of breaking God’s command to not neglect gathering with the saints, it is not missional, but disobedient.
“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25.
“It’s only a church service, so whats the big deal?”
This is the familiar rebuttal that I hear all the time, even from professing Christians. Our own children have even expressed this same justification in hopes of being able to play in games that conflict with church gatherings. But it all comes down to priorities. And what you prioritize will serve as a testimony to those who oppose your decision. Do you want to reach the world for Christ? Ask yourself, “What does the world see as being a priority in my life?” You can profess to be a Christian that loves Jesus all day long. But the old saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.”
I want my children to have a great education and excel in the sports that they love. I want them to be involved in and a part of the pastimes that they love. And I do not want them to be penalized or seen as an outcast on their teams or extra curricular activities due to missing a practice or a game. But I want them to know Christ more. If they experience rejection due to choosing to gathering with the church over their sports, therein lies a teaching moment to explain to them what it is to experience worldly persecution for Christ, and the spiritual joys associated within that decision. I want my children to see the prioritization of Christ and His church as the focus of how we lead our family.
If you model to your family that sports and recreational pastimes are things that regularly take precedence over the church, don’t be surprised and dismayed when your children grow up and do not prioritize Christ. They may agree or disagree with your decisions, but know that your children are watching how their parents lead. Know that your community is watching how you lead. And it will impact the way they view the world, the church, as well as how they lead their own families. All Christian parents would say that they want their children to know the Lord Jesus and to be saved. But many of those same families see Christ and the church as a secondary part of their lives.
Some of the coaches and parents in our community who know that our family makes Wednesday night church a priority may disagree with our stance. But at the end of the day, no matter if they agree with us or not, they know that the Lord is the most important part of our lives. Our children may at times disagree with our decision to prioritize the church, but when they are grown they will be able to say, “Our parents never wavered in their commitment to make Christ preeminent in our lives.”
When it comes to our Christian witness, we model what the priorities in our lives are to our community and to our families by what takes precedence in our weekly schedules. Again, we can say to others that Jesus is preeminent in our lives. But is that what others see as being true? It’s easy to say that we are Christians. But talk is cheap. And if at times the world does not shun you for putting it second to Jesus, then just might want to take stock of your priorities.
In conclusion, this is not a legalistic plea for believers to make Christ and His church the priority in their lives. In Malachi 1:10, the Lord told believers who were gathering regularly with the saints for worship that He wished they would lock the church doors and stop coming. Because although they were coming to worship, their hearts were not in it. So to the person who may grumble or scoff at making church a priority in their lives, I would say keep living your life the way you want to. I’m not asking anyone to do something that they do not want to do. Im simply asking that we all evaluate our priorities in life, and for us to snuff out any and all idols in the process. The Lord is not after our burdensome submission, He wants our prioritization of Him in our lives to be the desire of our hearts.
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome” 1 John 5:3.
We prioritize the things which we are most passionate about in life. Sports and dearly loved hobbies are not at all a bad thing. The question is, are they of first importance in your life? Are the preeimanent, even over the Lord and His bride? And for the believer who has truly been regenerated, they have been given a new heart which now desires the things of the Lord more than anything. For the Christian, it is not a burden or a struggle to make Christ and His church their top priority in life. Rather, it is their hearts desire.
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.
“And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” Colossians 1:18.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33.
An idol is anything that we place more value upon than God. And one of the biggest idols in our world today is sports. Particularly when it comes to our children. Thankfully, by His grace, the Lord saved my wife and I when our children were very young. Lacy and I made a commitment to the Lord that our children’s extra curricular activities would not ever take precidence over the worship of God.
We were put to the test fairly quickly. Our son Andy was playing his first year of football on the 3rd grade team. After his tryout, the coach told us that Andy would most definitely be one of his starters. He said he saw that our son was very athletic at a young age and would have a bright future in football. We later found out that his football practices were held on each week day afternoon at 6 PM, including Wednesdays. This happened to be the exact time that our mid week evening church Bible studies began.
We had a choice to make. We could have justified letting Andy practice by saying, “It’s only for a few months. And besides, it’s not like he will be missing Sunday morning.” But that was not the path we took. At the next practice, I met with the coach and shared with him that Andy would not be able to attend practices on Wednesday, because we had church at that time. The coach seemed to be understanding.
However, when game day came around, Andy did not start the game like the coach said he would. In fact, he did not get to play at all. As the season progressed, Andy would get to play maybe for a minute or so each game, but that was it. It was clear that our son was being punished for not being present for Wednesday night practices.
As our children have gotten older, they have continued to be involved in many different sports teams and activities. And we have seen the heartbreak on our children’s faces at times when they have been slighted by coaches due to our decision. We have even had Christian friends at times attempt to convince us to compromise our stance. And most of the time, their justification is, “It’s not like they are missing Sunday morning.”
Jesus said many times that believers would be persecuted for following Him. In fact, I would say that persecution by the world is one of the identifying marks in a Christian’s life. The definition of persecution is to be ill treated or treated in hostility by someone. So within those parameters, persecution has a broad spectrum. Persecution can be not being accepted or cast out of a group for your profession of Christ. Or in the most extreme cases, it can lead to death. Persecution marks the life of a true Christian. That is why Peter said that we should rejoice when we are persecuted for the name of Christ.
“But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.” 1 Peter 4:13-14.
Jesus said that persecution was something that was to be expected by believers. And that when persecuted, we should be joyful. Because when persecution comes in the life of a Christian for standing firm for Christ, it is because they have chosen to swim against what is popular in society, for the glory of God.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.” Matthew 5:11-12.
Granted, Christians are not to look for persecution. Honestly, I think anyone who went around looking for ways to be persecuted would need to check into a funny farm. Because persecution is not pleasant. Rather, persecution for a believer comes, not because they seek it, but because they choose the path less traveled in Christ instead of the Vanity Fair of the world. Christian persecution usually comes any time that believers place the things of the world second to Christ.
But when Jesus says that believers will be persecuted for His name, what exactly does He mean? What does it look like to be persecuted for Christ?
There are many believers who view Christian persecution as sickness, job loss, financial hardships, and a lack of material things. But if these maladies do not come about or have been caused due to living for Christ, then they are not persecutions, but just the effects of living in a fallen world. The rain falls on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). It is important to make this point, because the persecutions that Jesus said believers would experience are not just hardships, but they come solely from a believers life of obedience to Him.
With that distinction made, there are very few professing Christians living in the United States who are experiencing true persecution due to their obedience to Christ. Keep in mind, we are not talking about hardships. Because unfortunately, we all experience hardships in this life. We are talking about hardships that are brought on because of living for Christ. And the reason that we see so few Christians experiencing this type of persecution in our nation is because there is little to no separation from the world in their lives. The world does not desire Christ to be the top priority in life. And unfortunately, neither do many professing believers.
Christians are commanded to be in the world, but not of the world (Romans 12:2). That means that there are to be lines of separation in our lives. We are not commanded to disguise ourselves to look like the world in order to win the world. Too many churches today have bought into that lie, and their church services, which look more like a rock concert than true worship, bear the proof. Rather, Christians are to be in the world, but there is to be a noticeable difference. That is to say that the way that believers live their lives should be a contradiction and a curiosity to the world.
The true Christian cannot listen to or watch the same entertainment as the world, because of their love of Christ. The true Christian cannot dress the same as the world, because of their love of Christ. The true Christian cannot use the same crude language of the world or take part in sinful pastimes, because of their love for Christ. And the Christian will at times, forbid their children from attending certain events that are scheduled during times of worship, due to their love for Christ.
Is it a sin to occasionally miss mid week church or Sunday services? Absolutely not. Sometimes there are things that prevent us from temporarily gathering with the church. But compromise is a slippery slope. It’s always a struggle for those who love Jesus to ever choose to neglect any opportunity to gather with the saints and worship our Lord. Because for the true believer, gathering with believers and worshipping Christ is the heart cry of their soul. But the struggle gets to be less and less the more compromise is let in.
I know that in the world’s eyes, it is a praiseworthy thing for parents to do anything possible to promote and seek the advancement their children’s opportunities in sports and education. And these pursuits in and of themselves are not bad things. The problem arises when these pursuits become ultimate. Meaning that they are seen as a top priority.
Ive heard Christians attempt to justify neglecting the worship of God and gathering together with other believers for worship by calling the ball field or the dance recital “their mission field.” And while it is a good thing for believers to go to unbelievers in order to be a light for Christ, when it comes at the expense of breaking God’s command to not neglect gathering with the saints, it is not missional, but disobedient.
“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25.
“It’s only a church service, so whats the big deal?”
This is the familiar rebuttal that I hear all the time, even from professing Christians. Our own children have even expressed this same justification in hopes of being able to play in games that conflict with church gatherings. But it all comes down to priorities. And what you prioritize will serve as a testimony to those who oppose your decision. Do you want to reach the world for Christ? Ask yourself, “What does the world see as being a priority in my life?” You can profess to be a Christian that loves Jesus all day long. But the old saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.”
I want my children to have a great education and excel in the sports that they love. I want them to be involved in and a part of the pastimes that they love. And I do not want them to be penalized or seen as an outcast on their teams or extra curricular activities due to missing a practice or a game. But I want them to know Christ more. If they experience rejection due to choosing to gathering with the church over their sports, therein lies a teaching moment to explain to them what it is to experience worldly persecution for Christ, and the spiritual joys associated within that decision. I want my children to see the prioritization of Christ and His church as the focus of how we lead our family.
If you model to your family that sports and recreational pastimes are things that regularly take precedence over the church, don’t be surprised and dismayed when your children grow up and do not prioritize Christ. They may agree or disagree with your decisions, but know that your children are watching how their parents lead. Know that your community is watching how you lead. And it will impact the way they view the world, the church, as well as how they lead their own families. All Christian parents would say that they want their children to know the Lord Jesus and to be saved. But many of those same families see Christ and the church as a secondary part of their lives.
Some of the coaches and parents in our community who know that our family makes Wednesday night church a priority may disagree with our stance. But at the end of the day, no matter if they agree with us or not, they know that the Lord is the most important part of our lives. Our children may at times disagree with our decision to prioritize the church, but when they are grown they will be able to say, “Our parents never wavered in their commitment to make Christ preeminent in our lives.”
When it comes to our Christian witness, we model what the priorities in our lives are to our community and to our families by what takes precedence in our weekly schedules. Again, we can say to others that Jesus is preeminent in our lives. But is that what others see as being true? It’s easy to say that we are Christians. But talk is cheap. And if at times the world does not shun you for putting it second to Jesus, then just might want to take stock of your priorities.
In conclusion, this is not a legalistic plea for believers to make Christ and His church the priority in their lives. In Malachi 1:10, the Lord told believers who were gathering regularly with the saints for worship that He wished they would lock the church doors and stop coming. Because although they were coming to worship, their hearts were not in it. So to the person who may grumble or scoff at making church a priority in their lives, I would say keep living your life the way you want to. I’m not asking anyone to do something that they do not want to do. Im simply asking that we all evaluate our priorities in life, and for us to snuff out any and all idols in the process. The Lord is not after our burdensome submission, He wants our prioritization of Him in our lives to be the desire of our hearts.
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome” 1 John 5:3.
We prioritize the things which we are most passionate about in life. Sports and dearly loved hobbies are not at all a bad thing. The question is, are they of first importance in your life? Are the preeimanent, even over the Lord and His bride? And for the believer who has truly been regenerated, they have been given a new heart which now desires the things of the Lord more than anything. For the Christian, it is not a burden or a struggle to make Christ and His church their top priority in life. Rather, it is their hearts desire.
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.
“And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” Colossians 1:18.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33.
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