What is Your Top Priority?
CBN.com - In this column today I have been tasked with addressing the CBN.com audience regarding the tragedies of September 11th, 2001 in relation to the sports world. While it might seem the possibilities for subject matter are endless, I am numb.
Where do I begin, what do I say, how do I say it? These are questions I have been battling all week as I prepared to write this column. I would like to think that I have something of impact to say about these heinous acts of cowardice that invaded our shores one year ago this week. But I am still perplexed by the enormity of this catastrophic event. I say perplexed because I believe we are only in the very early stages of a process that could take years, decades, perhaps lifetimes to completely correct.
Something I wrote about a year ago and still strongly believe is that our nation needs sports. Sports provide a feeling of normalcy in our lives that other activities do not. Beyond the allegations that sports in this country have become an evil, greed filled empire, they project a spirit of emotion filled fervor. That is something this country still needs and will continue to need as our nation moves forward down a seemingly uncertain path.
While we have placed such a high level of appreciation on our great American athletic heroes in the past, our greatest admiration has deservedly turned to the real heroes of this great nation policemen, firefighters, armed forces, medical professionals, and teachers. This paradigm shift is long overdue but absolutely necessary. It restores a sense of pride and nobility to the ordinary man.
Unfortunately, it has taken an act of war for us to rearrange these priorities. Do not misunderstand me, I am not saying that athletes should not be respected and appreciated. We need our games to feel a sense of normalcy. But, in the grand scheme of society as we know it, I do believe that the ego-inflated world of sports has begun to play a lesser role in this great land of freedom.
It has been a blessing over the last several days to read so many heartfelt testimonies, essays, comments, and poems in the "Reflections of September 11, 2001" section on this web site. The stories of hope, grace, and restoration have been an encouragement to all who have read them. As the primary editor of this area of the site I have had the privilege of reading hundreds of these and have found two strikingly common threads in the majority of them. They are: 1) the terrorist attacks served as a wake-up call, and 2) there is a need to re-prioritize and focus upon what is important in life.
Conversely, there is undoubtedly a need to re-prioritize the emphasis of importance that are placed on sports in this country. Earlier, I said we needed sports to provide a sense of normalcy in our lives. While this is certainly true, sports also need to be placed in a proper perspective. They should in no way supercede the needs of church and family. Yet on any given Sunday, there is often a mad dash from the church pew to the couch to watch a game, sometimes at the expense of an important family event.
In addition, it would be thrilling to see the world of sports return to games that are played between the lines and not based on the bottom line. To see more exhilarating, heart stopping, 20 game winning streaks by teams such as the Oakland As and less bitter, stealth-like, greed filled labor negotiations as displayed by Major League Baseball. To see more relative unknowns like 16 year old Sarah Hughes vault from also ran status to a figure skating gold medal and less of the Mafioso, backroom wrangling of judges. To see more worst to first stories like the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots and less of the overpriced, large market teams that always seem to win championships. In other words, a return to the simpler days of sports without complicated financial issues would be welcomed.
How do we do this? It all begins with prioritizing various elements of who we are. Legendary Green Bay Packer coach Vince Lombardi always stressed to his players that they were to conduct their lives in the following manner 1. God and Religion, 2. Family, 3. The Green Bay Packers. Seems simple but for various reasons people have allowed the order to become skewed at times. However, these values have proven to be the most effective way to live life. Problems arise when we start letting activities not in the "Big Three" take priority.
For many of you, re-prioritizing means returning God to the top of the list. In
it says, "Now, therefore," says the Lord, "Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; And he relents from doing harm.Just as a father loves his son and waits with outstretched arms when he returns home, so too does God. He waits patiently for us to reprioritize and to place Him at the top of our list. He desires that we repent from our rebellious ways and to live by His instructions for our lives.
You might be asking yourself at this very moment, "How can God forgive me for not placing Him at the top of my priority list for so many years? Wont he be angry with me? Shouldnt I first earn His forgiveness?"
Absolutely not. If we had to earn His forgiveness, we could never measure up to His standards. Fortunately, this has been taken care of due to Gods provision of His son Jesus Christ, who was sent to this earth to die for our sins.
On Wednesday, we will remember the tragic day that altered so many lives and changed the face of our nation. If you have not done so already, take a moment to reflect upon your own life and where God fits into it. If He is not number one, I highly recommend you reprioritize.
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