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 Re:

I had a well meaning Christian approach me recently in order to scold me for spending so much time coaching football (American football, for all my friends in other parts of the world)... in his opinion sports and things like that are a "foolish waste of time", and that we should spend our "spare time" in the things of God. This person also comes across as hyper-spiritual, with no feet planted on the ground at all.

Anyway... I asked him what he was doing to reach kids. As it turns out, he could not produce anything of real substance. All he could tell me was how many hours he spends in the Word and in prayer.

Anyone who knows me knows I love the Word, and I am a student of the Word. But if there is no practical application of it... your time is being wasted.

He chastised me for spending 8 hours a week at practices, and usually 8 hours on Saturdays at the football stadium. To him... it was a waste of time. I invited him to come hang with me sometime at practice or on game day... and he did. What he saw was me having a positive influence on nearly 40 kids. Kids who have learned respect, hard work, dedication and sportsmanship. He saw that I was very open about my faith with kids, and many of them are Christians.

We need to be careful when we decide what is considered a waste of time. Is TV a waste of time? Not always... but it can be very easily. But my point is that God also created leisure and relaxation for MAN. He created the Sabbath for MAN. Surely we should dedicate all of time to the Lord... but as someone pointed out, for people like me... with 4 sons, a job, coaching responsibilities, etc... spending 2.4 hours a day in prayer and study is impossible, and to some extent it would border on legalism if I tried to attain that.

Wrestling on the floor with my boys is as godly a way to spend time as being in prayer by candlelight. I'm a pretty simple man, and not as sophisticated as some folks. I like the fact that God created this life for us to worship Him, and also to enjoy living.

We can spend our time in the things of God in many many different ways... not just in devotional time. Everything we do we should do as unto the Lord... 24-7.

Krispy

 2005/2/21 9:40
getrealwithg
Member



Joined: 2005/2/19
Posts: 46
littlefield, tx

 Re:

I wholeheartedly agree; but @ the same time we can't neglect our personal relationship with God to pursue the other. I firmly believe all true ministry is the natural byproduct of a very real, very vital, personal relationship with God. I believe christianity is simply allowing God to influence my own heart & life to the point where that influence overflows into the hearts & lives of everyone I come in contact with. When that happens, your whole life begins to be a ministry to those around you. Christian growth is a life long process, not an instantaneous event. If you gave your newborn infant one bottle a week, how long would that child last? If you yourself ate one meal a week, how long would you last. We need to feed our spirit man the same way we feed our natural man. I know for a fact that when I constantly feed my natural man without daily feeding my spirit man my natural man always gets the upper hand & i begin to allow a lot of things to get into my life that I otherwise wouldn't.


_________________
wayne freeman

 2005/2/21 10:05Profile









 Re:

Quote:
I wholeheartedly agree; but @ the same time we can't neglect our personal relationship with God to pursue the other. I firmly believe all true ministry is the natural byproduct of a very real, very vital, personal relationship with God. I believe christianity is simply allowing God to influence my own heart & life to the point where that influence overflows into the hearts & lives of everyone I come in contact with. When that happens, your whole life begins to be a ministry to those around you. Christian growth is a life long process, not an instantaneous event. If you gave your newborn infant one bottle a week, how long would that child last? If you yourself ate one meal a week, how long would you last. We need to feed our spirit man the same way we feed our natural man. I know for a fact that when I constantly feed my natural man without daily feeding my spirit man my natural man always gets the upper hand & i begin to allow a lot of things to get into my life that I otherwise wouldn't.



I think you and I are saying the same thing. Nowhere in my post did I indicate that we should ever neglect our time with God. On the contrary, we should set aside our alone time w/Him. I dont think we need to feel obligated to set aside 2.4 hours a day as some sort of tithe... tithing is a bit of a misnomer w/me anyway. (but thats another topic) Everything we do should be centered on Christ. I'm merely trying to point out that what may seem a waste of time to one person may be another persons ministry.

Krispy

 2005/2/21 10:22
getrealwithg
Member



Joined: 2005/2/19
Posts: 46
littlefield, tx

 Re:

My whole point in this is our tendency as christians, even when involved in something like this message board, to focus our energies on superficial things, & not on things that help us to grow spiritually & become better people. Jesus once accused the Pharisees of straining a gnat & swallowing a camel. How many times do we focus on one pet peeve & totally ignore the whole message? When I first started in the ministry 25 years ago. I stayed angry about certain things. I found myself getting angry over the same things all the time. I found out, when I was getting angry, it was because people were pointing out things I just didn't want to deal with. Even today, I find myself getting angry & frustrated over the same things over & over again. It's a growth process that will last a lifetime; but I won't get anywhere until I allow God to reveal the truth to me.


_________________
wayne freeman

 2005/2/21 10:38Profile
rookie
Member



Joined: 2003/6/3
Posts: 4821
Savannah TN

 Re:

Br. Krispy wrote:

Quote:
He chastised me for spending 8 hours a week at practices, and usually 8 hours on Saturdays at the football stadium. To him... it was a waste of time. I invited him to come hang with me sometime at practice or on game day... and he did. What he saw was me having a positive influence on nearly 40 kids. Kids who have learned respect, hard work, dedication and sportsmanship. He saw that I was very open about my faith with kids, and many of them are Christians.



Last year I began coaching youth tackle football in a "Christian league." I had the opportunity to reach families and kids in the same way. Two or three times a week I would lead devotionals with the team. I enjoyed the season and the people, yet I must confess that I struggled with the whole notion of Football. I saw the hypocrisy of professing Christ in one moment then because of competition, the kids learned from the adults about cutting corners. The kids learn by what they see as the desires most important to the adults in their lives. We can preach all we want. Yet how do we maintain what we preach. How do we share the love of Christ in an activity which promotes the opposite?

In Christ
Jeff


_________________
Jeff Marshalek

 2005/2/21 12:12Profile
getrealwithg
Member



Joined: 2005/2/19
Posts: 46
littlefield, tx

 Re:

In all things pertaining to christianity, we lead by example. We need to show them something different in our own lives first & foremost. Paul admonishes us to speak the truth in love; but speak the truth we must. It's like raising children however, you never dwell on the wrong they do. You deal with it, & that's that. We need to focus on the right things men do, & not the wrong. In doing so we encourage that kind of behavior. When we constantly focus on the wrong things men do we reinforce that behavior, simply because that's what gets them recognition, & recognition is the one thing men & women crave most.


_________________
wayne freeman

 2005/2/21 12:25Profile
rookie
Member



Joined: 2003/6/3
Posts: 4821
Savannah TN

 Re:

Thankyou Br. Wayne.

In Christ
Jeff


_________________
Jeff Marshalek

 2005/2/21 12:49Profile









 Re:

Quote:
I struggled with the whole notion of Football. I saw the hypocrisy of professing Christ in one moment then because of competition, the kids learned from the adults about cutting corners.



I'm not sure what you mean by "cutting corners"... if you mean cheating, in effect, and it was coming from the parents... there really isnt anything you can do about that except lead by example. Just like Wayne said.

On our team we dont cheat... and we won 7 out of 8 games. I was accused of "cheating" because I had my offensive line double their fists and give a nice shot up under the pads at the base of the ribs against the defensive line (it works great, by the way!)... but when I was questioned about it I asked them to show me any evidence that it was illegal. (I got that little tip from one of John Madden's book)There is none because it is perfectly legal. It knocks the wind out of the opponent. Hey, it's football. It's not a gentleman's sport.

But we can not control the parents. I learned that a long time ago. The only thing we can do is keep them off the field... but at home, thats something you have to live with.

As for me... if I see a kid doing something illegal (cutting corners), I bench 'em. I get an ear full from the parents, but after awhile you learn to tune out the parents. And we're not a Christian league... I get cussed at. But parents cussing doesnt hold a candle to what I heard in bootcamp, so it doesnt bother me.

I dont want to turn this into a football thread.

Krispy

 2005/2/21 13:06









 Re:

I like what you're saying. I think what I said (that TV is a waste of time) can be easily be misunderstood (and I should be careful what I say)... each of us should ask ourselves how we spend our time and what that says about our priorities. I'm disappointed that someone found your participation in football problematic...what an awesome opportunity to share the love of Christ.

Each of us will be dealt with in different ways - God told me no more TV and no more movies (but I had a problem). I believe as Christians are goal is to be dead to self so that Christ's love can compel us in all we do...each of us has to deal with God about our personal use of God - is it glorifying to God?

TV is not necessarily bad in and of itself but is there something better i could do with my time? Like wrestle with my kids, or talk to my wife, or spend some time in prayer. These are questions that must be answered on a deeply personal level.

My difficulty is that i'm doing some pastoring and training to enter full time pastoral work and i have to decide what i will say from the pulpit...often i have challenged the congregation to examine their use of time (and i've used TV as an example) but i have to be careful not to preach legalism...i think that's a challenge.

By the way i appreciate this opportunity to share with other believers and grow. I am new to the internet and i hope to use it to bring glory to God. That we can have these discussions is a blessing - i know chat rooms are common but we're brothers and sisters in Christ...we're family!

 2005/2/21 13:42
rookie
Member



Joined: 2003/6/3
Posts: 4821
Savannah TN

 Re:

Br Krispy wrote:

Quote:
I'm not sure what you mean by "cutting corners"... if you mean cheating, in effect, and it was coming from the parents... there really isnt anything you can do about that except lead by example. Just like Wayne said.



One corner cut was that if a kid did not maintain grades, he could not play. Well some of the star players were not held to this rule. I accidentally found out about one of these players. When I asked the head coach he said he was not aware of this situation. I failed to press the issue. I was the defensive coordinator, so I did not allow the boy to play on defense.

Another corner cut was telling the defensive players to line up in the gaps. The league rules were known by the players that they had to line up head to head. Yet the head coach for a time instructed them to line up in the gaps until the other team complained. When I became defensive cooridinator of the team part way into the season I instructed my boys to obey the rules.

There are many other small issues that occurred daily, each one showed the boys that men do not see things as black and white. The boys are taught to understand that there are "gray areas." King Saul wanted to live his life in the gray areas.

I attended the NFF-NFL Youth Football Coaches Clinic this past year. This organization taught the offensive lineman to hit the breatplate of the shoulder pads as the proper method for beginning the blocking sequence.

In Christ
Jeff


_________________
Jeff Marshalek

 2005/2/21 13:45Profile





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