Ask fans of all 32 teams and they will give you reason for optimism and hope in their team this NFL season!
Sports teams and players can install hope within a city or within an individual. Fans feel like they are part of the team and when their sports heroes win or lose so do they. In some cases a sports team can provide hope for people in a nearby area that are undergoing a difficult time. For instance, the 1970's Pittsburgh Steelers gave hope to the city of Pittsburgh while it was suffering a recession due to steel mill and factory layoffs. In 2005, after hurricane Katrina, the people of New Orleans rallied around their beloved Saints.
Hope is a powerful motivator. Without hope in one's life a person will feel depressed and a lack of meaning and purpose. People need hope!
I am passionate about Steelers football. If the Steelers are winning I am glued to the TV and am ecstatic. When the Steelers are losing I start cleaning while still watching the TV so as to feel like I am being productive (Don't think it's true...ask my wife). After a tough loss it would really dampen my mood after a game.
Then came the rise of fantasy football. I loved fantasy football because it combined a number of my passions. Football and managing a team. As a teenager playing Madden I preferred building and managing a team in Dynasty mode than in actually playing the games. I loved building an All-Star team that was underneath the salary cap!
I played fantasy football religiously for years. Fantasy football bled over to playing fantasy baseball and basketball. I became a year round fantasy sports manager. I would manage three to four teams a season and would generally win or come close to winning every team I managed.
After playing in fantasy leagues for a number of years I suddenly became convicted. Where does my hope truly lie? In human football players or in my God? Why am I spending so much time managing so many teams? If I truly hope in God shouldn't I spend more time with him?
I decided from that day on that I would stop playing fantasy football because it showed that my hope was in something that was a fantasy. It wasn't even real!
Can you imagine standing before the Judgment Seat of Christ and saying - "God, I was the best manager of fantasy football ever!"
I have been asked to play in a bazillion fantasy football leagues since my decision and have declined every time. I can honestly say that I have fully overcome the fantasy addiction syndrome.
I want my extra time to count for something more. I want my HOPE to be in something GREATER!
Is your hope in Jesus or in a bunch of over-weight men running around in pads?
People spend meaningful time on what they truly hope in!
Psalm 147:11
The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
While I love the Steelers (even my office is decorated in black and gold) it's good to remember that there are more important things to place my hope in!
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