Sports are a multi-multi-multi-billion dollar industry. How do we know that? For starters, every newspaper in the country has its own section devoted to sports. Every news program has a rundown on the day’s sports. Every cable network has 24/7 programming dedicated to sports. There is a proliferation of magazines dedicated to your favorite sport. Sport memorabilia is a multi-billion dollar industry that grows exponentially every year. Ninety-nine percent of colleges and universities in this country are known for their sports teams instead of their educational prowess. Academics appear to be on a distant horizon. Then there’s betting, bookies, wagering, let’s not get too close to that monster. The whole world is intoxicated with sports fever.
Monies float over-the-table, under-the-table, out-of-thin-air and many sports figures spend much of their time in prison, courtrooms, rehabilitation centers and other recovery areas as they do on their court, in their field or at their arena. Sports lawyers, recruiting agents, contract experts, medical teams and many, many others jockey for their portion. There’s always a new multi-million dollar facility being proposed or built somewhere and fan wear is an absolute necessity. The whole world is intoxicated with sports fever.
Every sport has been infected with top tier talent that indulges with illegal drugs. Baseball statistics have been polluted and even altered with the overdose of steroids. Football, basketball, tennis, soccer, hockey, track and field, horse racing, bicycling, even chess tournaments have their fair share of drug use and abuse. Because sports is a gargantuan enterprise with tentacles that reach from preschool T-ball games to Olympic space-walking, money turns a blind eye to rules and regulations. Integrity is often drowned by the lights, camera, and action of the networks pushing their own homemade brand of “sportsmanship”. The whole world is intoxicated with sports fever.
Doesn’t anybody get recognized for being the real thing anymore? When Jesus was picking the twelve disciples to carry on his work, one guy stood out in particular. They were all average “everyday Joe’s” because they wouldn’t have had the impact on others if they weren’t.
Jesus went into Galilee and found Philip and told him to ‘follow me’. Philip found Nathanael and said to follow him, that they have found the one Moses and the prophets wrote about and to come and see for himself. When Nathanael approached Jesus, guess what happened? Scripture says: “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Here is a true Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” John 1:47 No guile, no deceit, no dishonesty at all!
One man stood out. Jesus even called it to the attention of the others. What if you were walking toward Jesus? What might he say about you?! Do you know what you will want to hear him say? Listen up! Here’s your answer:
“The Master replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant!”" Matthew 25:21
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