Burning Vapor

The Power of the Pigskin

(An open letter to my son.)

1 John 5:18-21
19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.  20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

This is a funny time of year – it’s football season!  You can smell the excitement in the air, see the flags flying on the cars, and hear the clamor of news updates.  I know it’s here because I live with a child obsessed with the game.  One of my sons loves football and baseball.  He can out stat you, out strat you and name more personal history about players than you have any hope to…and he has only been an American for two years.  How did he develop such a love for sports?  I have no idea.  He didn’t get it from me.  He has naturally gravitated to it and is quickly becoming obsessed with it.  I also have friends who are obsessed with the game.  They love it, they talk it and they plan their calendar around it.  It’s time for a talk with him and with you.

First, let me say that I know the obsession.  I know it’s grip.  I know the justifications and pathetic defense that we often try to put up.  I know it and it’s sick. What do some of these sound like?  See if you have ever stated any of the following:

1. This is my idol worship time, and I don’t want to be disturbed.
2. This is my idol worship season.
3. Worshiping my idol is the only way I can relax.
4. My passionate pursuit of my idol doesn’t really affect me.
5. You are a woman, you can’t possibly understand my idol.
6. I can walk away from my idol at any time, and it doesn’t have a grip on me.
7. I wait for my idol all year.
8. I can’t go to that event because I need to worship my idol.

If you are gripped by an idol then lose hope in truly worshiping God.  Lose hope in loving your wife and leading your children.  Lose hope in discipling others.  Lose hope in deepening your love and understanding of the Lord.  Lose hope in being missional.  Lose hope in modeling Christ to your children.  Lose hope.  When you remove Jesus from the throne of your life and replace him with a football, shotgun, weight bench, truck, computer, wife, children, alcohol, guitar, book, or anything or anyone else – then lose hope.

If you try to make your throne a two-seater then lose hope.  Jesus shares power with no created entity.  He does not sit on the throne waiting to hold the next thing that grips you so that you can worship them both.

My son, keep yourself from idols.  We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.  And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.  My son, keep yourself from idols.

Remember your first love.  Remember to be killing sin because it seeks to kill you.  You once loved these things, but you have been given a new life.  You must put it away and focus your affections on the One who has redeemed you.  You must remember that we are in a battle that has eternal consequences.  You must remember that you have been chosen – not to be consumed by the trifles of this world but to reflect the glory of God.

My son, keep yourself from idols.

Love,

Dad

John Piper has an article on how to Discern Idolatry in Desire

Verses to Reflect on:

Psalm 115:3-8
3 Our God is in the heavens;
he does all that he pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
5 They have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
6 They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
7 They have hands, but do not feel;
feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
8 Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them.

Colossians 3:1-17
3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 14th, 2009 at 9:37 am and is filed under Family, Parenting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.