Saturday, October 25, 2008

Are you fanatical??

I was blessed today as I was invited to a Christian mens breakfast. Being Currie Cup Rugby weekend (Similar to super bowl for those on the other side of the Atlantic), the restaurant was full of Sharks and Bulls supporters.

Our challenge was all bout wearing the shirt and playing for the team. Just wearing a rugby shirt does not make one a player. You do not automatically become a team member if you just happen to have a rugby jersey. On the flip side of the coin though, you cannot be on the team without a team shirt or jersey on.

The application was drawn to the Christian life, where many people who claim to be Christians are not team players but merely supporters. God does not want supporters for Christianity, He wants players.

My attention was then drawn to this idea of supporters. Wow and do we have some fantastic supporters. Even fanatical ones. Supporters who would paint themselves in the colours of their team. Wear the team colours. Sit with like minded team supporters. Some would even die for their team.

I mean friendships have been lost over supporting the opposite team. We call these people fanatical. I dare say that many of us are fanatical in some way over some team or other. We would easily skip work and play, for an opportunity to support our favourite team.

Being fanatical, takes real commitment and belief, even faith. Some would even support their team to the bitter end. I remember a man who committed suicide in the stadium after a Rugby Currie Cup final. His team lost, just lost.

My question though is, are we as fanatical about Christianity as we are about our sport? Are we proud to don the team colours, are we proud to look like a Christian? Do we advertise our Christianity as we would advertise our supporting team? Do we show up in the crowd as being vastly different? Would we sit with the same team members, do we advertise who and what we are?

We, most times, accept that being fanatical about sport is OK. Its part of life. But when someone is fanatical about God, then they are weird. There is something wrong with them.Why is it that we can be fanatical about sporting heroes, but when it comes to the Creator of the universe, we are embarrassed.

My challenge is, don on the Christian colours. Put on your Christian jersey. Advertise Gods emblem. Be more fanatical about Gods team than you are about some sports team. The one good thing about doing this is, that Gods team will never ever loose. Can you say that about your team?

Jos 24:15 And if it seem evil to you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Solid encouragement. Thanks for the reminder and challenge.