The big game this weekend is not a football game, but rather a basketball game. Everyone I know (both IU and Purdue fans alike) seems to want to know what I think about the game. I have an opinion. I have a prediction . . . I'm a Boilermaker - enough said?
There's an awful lot of sport talk going on right now and it got me to thinking . . .
Several years ago, My wife and I were going out to eat. I was wearing my Purdue jacket as is my habit during basketball season. It also happened to be the week that IU and Purdue were playing each other in basketball. As we entered the restaurant anxious for a quiet dinner together, two gentleman seated in the bar voiced a disparaging remark regarding my attire. The remarks continued and I really had heard enough when I said, “If you can prove you have earned the right to express your opinions, I will happily listen to all that you have to say.”
They quickly responded, “What do you mean?”
I went to explain that I was a graduate of Purdue and a dues paying member of the John Purdue Club. They responded with silence and we sat down for a quiet dinner. At that point, the bartender came out from behind the bar and showed me a copy of his IU diploma that he carried in his wallet. We both laughed and engaged in a fun tit for tat conversation about both universities.
I never heard another peep from the two guys at the bar.
What’s in your wallet? Has new meaning for me.
We truly live in an egocentric world. Everyone has an opinion. Talk Radio, the Internet, you name it, whatever you want to say and what ever you want to believe you will find someone willing to agree with you. The world is waiting to hear from you because what you have to say it oh so important (note the emphasis on sarcasm!).
Even as Christians we follow the latest trends and fall prey to the latest gimmicks. If we were to listen to the world, we would discover that all religions contain truth. Therefore, Christianity is only partially right. As Christians, we should be more tolerant of others. And while we have been more tolerant, the number of people identified as followers of Christ continues to drop.
The prophet Jeremiah had a similar problem during his lifetime. A lot of people were bragging about a lot of things and believed they had the answers to everything. Idolatry (divided allegiance) was a real problem in the nation of Israel. Jeremiah brought a message about what they were bragging about. You can read a bit about what Jeremiah has to say here: Jeremiah 10:1-16.
Jeremiah offers of contrast of those “idols” that others bragged about and the One True God. The idols were man made, shaped by man, dressed by man, controlled by man, moved by man, and capable of doing nothing on their own. In contrast, God was the creator and able to anything. The idols were mere scarecrows in the fields that God had created. In their lives, they spent so much time bragging (worshiping) that which man had created.
So what do you brag about?
When was the last time you bragged about what God was doing in your life? In your family? In your church? The next time you find yourself engrossed in a conversation about the things (the idols) that fill with you with pride, stop for a moment and reflect on the One that created it all.
We will be held accountable for our actions. We have ownership of what we brag/talk about it. If you call yourself a follower of Christ, you must strive to live that commitment. Divided allegiance (hypocrisy) will not be tolerated by God.
If anyone spent time with you this week, conversing with you, listening to your stories, would they know you are a Christ-follower?
What will you be bragging about come Monday morning?
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