Believe it or not, this is not a piece that will vilify the NFL. I don't have time to stand in that line of "enemies of the NFL," which is a religion of its own. Plus, that line is long enough and, admittedly, I kind of like football and am a die hard Bronco fan.
The National Football League reached a low in 2016-2017 in viewership of only 14.9 million per game, down 10% from the previous year due to many issues, mainly on the political front. The next off-season the Supreme Court opened the door for the expansion of gambling on sporting events. Viewership had risen every year from then until the 2021-2022 season. Though less have watched over the past two years, gambling has more than doubled over the past two years! One way or another, the NFL has a pull, a draw, an addicting nature to it, it seems.
People are looking for something to follow, to run to, to fall back on in the midst of a world that is growing increasingly tiring and hateful. Religion, simply put, is man's way of making sense of things, or of getting to God, if your one to believe that God makes sense of things. In my case, a biblically-accurate Christianity is how I "get to God." By God's grace in sending Jesus into the world to die for the world's sins, He has opened the door for all who repent of the their sins and believe by faith in the person and work of Jesus to have eternal life. In other words, it wasn't my effort that saved me, it was God's actions towards me.
What is your way of making sense of things? Maybe you dive into your job, or a hobby, or your family. Maybe your stuck in an unhealthy cycle of drug, alcohol, porn, or gambling addiction? Maybe it's your relationship with God that is bringing you perspective? Everybody has something they default to, or numerous things that compete for their attention. The NFL is an easy way to fill that void, to be sure, yet it still falls short. Even if you increase your interest in the NFL by betting or doing fantasy football or building a friend group around your team, it still will always fall short of making sense of things. As I've argued earlier, football holds some great life lessons in it, both for fans and players. Also, it's a blast to follow the story-lines and the unpredictable nature of almost any game (hey, my Broncos almost pulled off an upset and scored four touchdowns in one game, so anything is possible). Yet, the NFL, nor anything else that briefly distracts us from the world, will ever truly help us.
Each person needs something that will fulfill their expectations of creating lasting purpose, giving real peace, and producing joy beyond your circumstances. A religion CAN NOT do this because religion will always be centered on OUR EFFORTS. Yes, there are certain Christian efforts that unintentionally make it all about us. Yet, the essence of Christianity is not a religion, but a lifestyle of following Jesus and making Him our aim, our focus, our Lord. Whatever you default to . . . how's that working for you?
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 nails it! His purpose for us is our best purpose ever. Go ahead and dive into whatever healthy job or hobby you have. Go ahead and get the help you need to get away from the unhealthy coping mechanisms you have. But do it all while telling God, often, that He's your focus, your favorite, your Lord.
