Is Your Life The Sum of Wins and Losses?

“In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” Job 1:22

The Iron Bowl is the yearly college football contest in the State of Alabama between the Auburn Tigers and the Crimson Tide. Tonight was this years battle for bragging rights in the state. Tigers won and The Tide Lost. I don’t really have a dog in the fight, I usually root for the Irish of Notre Dame, but I am re-thinking fandom all together. I am not a good fan anyway.

I’m a fan of the Irish, not because I went there or graduated from their but for other reasons.

I am a fan culturally because I am Irish.

I am a fan religiously because I grew up Catholic.

We often equate fandom with Christianity. If we are good fans we wear the right attire and talk the right talk. The problem with that is that fandom is fickle. We love our team when they win and curse them when they lose. Tonight, all over Alabama, there are people getting drunk because their team won or lost. Emotions drive fandom.

This is why Christians are not God’s fans. I try to keep my life free of emotional attachments to wins and losses. Jesus is the same whether life is going great or not. His Word is true whether I am cheering His Name or not. God was God when my dad passed away at 10 years old. He was God when my mom passed away at 30. God was God when I got fired from two churches. God was also God when I married the woman of my dreams, my first child was born, and got that sweet job.

God doesn’t need more fans on His Facebook page. And the amount of “fans” He has does not add or take away from who God is. As the preacher says, “God is God all by Himself.” God does not seek fans, He seeks the faithful.

How about you? Are putting a bag over your head because God’s church isn’t “winning” or because life seems out of control? Does a failure in your life come complete with a post failure commentary filled with “if I had only”?

“His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”

He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. Job 2:9-10

Job’s wife was a fan of God. Job was faithful to God. The fan turns in tough times. The faithful keep their eyes on Jesus, win or lose. Your faith in God is not = to life’s wins and losses, because God is bigger than both.

Living The Dream - Paul Turner

Paul Turner, youth pastor and youth ministry coach/trainer/speaker I’ve written and re-written so may of these, I have decided to try and sum up my ministry in 6 words:

Loves To See Youth Pastors Succeed.

That’s what I’m about. It’s because of my 29 year love affair with God and my 20 year infatuation with youth ministry that I want help you and your youth ministry succeed. Sometimes it takes one good idea, sometimes a few. If I can help you through resources, speaking, or training please do not hesitate to call and ask questions 205-260-7229, tweet me at PaulTurnerToo, or catch me on Facebook.

I've always wanted to be a youth pastor and minster to teens at all levels. Youth pastors, along with camp counselors, have been my heroes. I have been ministering to students now for 20 years and started a free resource sight called The Disciple Project at www.thediscipleproject.net. Come by and say hello.

I live in Birmingham, AL. with my wife and thee great kids, two of which are teenagers.

Comments

I love your 'fan' analogy. I

On Dec 19, 2010, Chris Rollman said:

I love your 'fan' analogy. I desire to be faithful to God not necessarily a 'fan' of God. Unfortunately, in our culture that gives the idea that we need to be a fan of something, that is hard. And the product of that is that we create nominal Christ followers who are essentially part of the fan base, but are just as lousy fans as you might be with the Irish. Instead of being faithful to God when he doesn't seem to come through, people turn into fairweather disciples.

Great thoughts Paul. Thanks.

www.westefc.org

www.chrisrollman.wordpress.com