Sunday, November 21, 2010

Football and discipleship

As the blog title suggests, I like football. There are a lot of reasons to like football, but the truth is that I like football, because my dad liked football. He transferred his love of football and other sports to me. I remember sitting on the couch with him and watching football. I asked questions and he would answer. He explained how a team gets a first down. He showed me the different signals for the various penalties. He taught me the difference between a 1-point conversion and a 2-point conversion. He explained every position on the field. I probably drove him crazy with my questions when he was trying to watch the game, but I don't remember him seeming annoyed or impatient. He wanted me to know about and share in something that he cared about.

It strikes me that the Christian discipleship of my children should be a lot like watching football with my dad. I want to transfer my love for God to my children. Metaphorically speaking, I want them to sit on the couch and watch the game with me. I want them to see how much I love God and to want to know all about Him. I want to encourage and to patiently answer their questions. As they grow to adulthood, I would love to hear them say that they love God and that their love for God has a lot to do with the fact that their parents loved God and enthusiastically shared that love.

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