With the Superbowl upon us, I thought a football post would be fitting. Recently I was speaking with our president, Ron DeHaas, about a talk he gave a couple months ago to a group of guys about the subject of lust and pornography. In preparation for the talk he wanted to use football as an illustration for the guys about defeating Internet temptations.
Unusual illustration, I know. But this was what we came up with:
Striving towards the goal: Becoming like Christ
The field is our life. The ball is our integrity or character. The goal of our lives is to reach the end-zone, at which point we see victory, the end of our life-long quest to become like Jesus. As Christians we strive to hold on to our character, to never drop it or let it get into the hands of the opponent.
The defensive line: A world full of temptations
If there were no obstacles in the way, reaching the end-zone would be simple. But this is not the case. When the ball of our character is in play, there is a defensive line that pummels us, keeping us far from the end-zone. Moving forward is never a simple matter: it requires us to know the strategy of the opponent, to know the schemes of the evil one.
Even though our coach, Jesus Christ, moves us inevitably toward the end-zone, this does not mean easy movement. Rather, we can be sure the other team will beat and bruise us along the way.
The playbook: The Bible
Every team needs a playbook, only ours is not locked away for just a few to see. Our coach has written the playbook for all to see. In order to advance the ball of our character down the field of life, we will need to understand the plays he wishes us to make. We must know the playbook intimately.
The quarterback: You
The quarterback’s main objective is to lead his team down the field of life and advance his character, striving more and more towards the image of Christ. But the quarterback is only one man: he depends on his team to help him advance the ball. Without them, he is unprotected and vulnerable.
Crucial plays: More opportunities to grow
There will inevitably come times when we are tackled to the ground by temptations. God gives us many 2nd and 3rd downs in the game, many second chances to rise from the turf and reform the line, many fresh starts to move the ball further down the field.
At times you might experience a nasty tackle where the temptation takes the wind right out of you. At times you feel blitzed, when temptations seem to hit you from all directions. And then there are those 4th-down plays, those crucial moments in your life after lust has taken a toll on you and the costs to your personal integrity are greater. It is in those moments our focus is heightened and we need to more feverishly cling to our Coach’s instruction.
The offensive line: Our first line of defense against temptation
We all need a first line of defense, external blockades we place in our lives that guard against the first waves of temptation that come our direction. For some these are restrictions of place (not driving past certain video stores), or time (not being online late at night), or relationships (not being alone with women). For some these are quasi-physical boundaries (Internet filters, getting rid of cable TV, etc.). A good defensive line is important for any team.
Wide receivers, fullbacks, halfbacks, & running backs: Your true friends in the battle
A good defensive line (online) holds the temptations at bay. But you need fellow players, good teammates who are as committed to advancing your integrity and character as you are. These are your accountability partners—your friends who help you advance the ball down the field.
These are fellow men and women who have their eye on the ball (your character) and the goal in their hearts (Christ-likeness). This is not just anybody. These are people who are experienced enough in the game that you want them on your team. They might be veteran players or young hopefuls, but they are people who know how to dodge temptation themselves and have a passion to see you get closer and closer to the image of Christ.
@ Jeff
And let’s not forget that GoDaddy nonsense ;)
@Justin – Yes. We recently switched our domains from GoDaddy to something else. Didn’t feel like padding the pockets of the Go Daddy Girls anymore.
Touchdown! Resisting the temptation by taking God’s way of escape so that we may stand up under it. (1 Corinthians 10:13) May we all put many points up on the scoreboard!!
Don’t forget the Holy Spirit as Coach and God as the owner
Nice hook on this one! Catchy.
A post on Super Bowl purity would be good too. Strategies for watching the Superbowl and not tripping over cheerleaders, Bud girls and Doritos commercials.
Maybe I’ll write this one.