THE FOOLISHNESS OF PRO FOOTBALL

        What do you do with your free time? Pursue a hobby? Read a book? Watch a movie? Play a sport? Take a nap? Most of us have some spare time we can use in a variety of ways. It is a rare person indeed who has no spare time, and that is one of the great blessings we have in life as American citizens.

        Jesus and His early followers lived at a time that was, surprisingly, more like our own than unlike it. There were the very wealthy, the politicians, the “well-off”, the middle-class and the poor. But no matter what kind of life people have, then or now, there is always a little spare time during which we choose what to do. And that’s usually a good thing, because God made people to have free choice. We are not robots.

        (Note that I did not say people have “free will”, since that’s a different matter. Our sinful nature does not allow us free will in the matter of choosing to follow God. The apostle Paul, inspired by the Spirit, said, “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:3) To believe in Jesus requires God’s help.

        But we have lots of things we can choose to do with our free time. Paul, however, warns us not to waste our time when he says, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17)

        I surely wish I could say we live in good times, but I can’t. As Paul says, the days are evil, the days now and the days in times past, and it is all due to the results of sin and rebellion that never leave us. One day, praise God, we shall be delivered from the evil days, and can live eternally with Jesus Christ our Lord. With all the foolishness around us today, I truly look forward to Christ’s second coming. May all of us be found trusting Jesus as our Savior.

        Philip Melanchthon was Martin Luther’s valued friend who helped him greatly with his ability to express Christian teachings, especially in the Augsburg Confession. In 1560, just before Philip passed from this life into eternity, he said, “In death we shall be delivered from our sins, as well as from the arguments of foolish people.” What a great thought. Maybe we can deliver ourselves right now from some of those foolish people.

I’m going to start by turning off professional football. It’s just gotten too foolish.

Rev. Bob Tasler, www.bobtasler.com