I'm as big a sports fan as anyone. But can we please stop glorifying people who have done nothing to deserve our respect and admiration - other than hitting a ball, running faster, jumping higher or shooting a jump shot with greater ease and excellence than we could? The ability to perform our favorite hobby with amazing ability is neat. It's probably worthy of a few of our dollars and some of our free time. But it's certainly not worth our dignity and self-respect. And it's definitely not worth risking the future of our children.
Our kids listen to who and what we talk about. They pay attention to what we spend our time doing. And they realize and understand what we actually value most. Let's stop kidding ourselves by thinking that our kids don't see right through us to our core, to our heart. So instead of lifting up and praising men who have not earned that priviledge, let's lift up men and women who are worthy to watched, heard and copied.
Let's give our kids the chance to hear us praise and lift up the parents who have raised their children to walk after Jesus, the folks who volunteer to teach Bible classes, the elderly couple who faithfully attend worship because they love God and His saints, even though it's physically difficult and the young mother who insists that her kids will be given the opportunity to know God - even if her husband choses not to help her. Let's encourage our kids to watch people who are striving each day to imitate Jesus.
They will be grateful you did.
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