I must admit that I am among the many, many, many people who love to watch football. Without football, fall would just be about raking stinking leaves and cleaning up smashed pumpkins! While I am more partial to watching college football, I also enjoy kicking back in a Sunday afternoon between church services and cheering on my beloved Cincinnati Bengals from time to time. And then comes Monday. I believe there is an obscure verse in Genesis which refers to the fact that God created Monday so we could have Monday Night Football! Don’t quote me on that one though.
So, if you are a football fan like me, your life has probably been affected somewhat (more than somewhat if you are a Packers fan) by the recent referee lockout in the NFL. Since the refs are on strike, the NFL has employed the “talents” of “replacement refs” and it looks like the original refs won’t be returning to the field any time soon.
It doesn’t take a trained gridiron eye to notice that these replacement refs are somewhat lacking in ability and it is beginning to affect the outcomes of games, bringing the lockout discussion to a fever pitch. We are beginning to see that when it comes to adequately calling a professional level game, you cannot settle for substitutes. These refs are trying their best, but it is obvious they lack the expertise needed to keep up with the pace and rhythm of the NFL game.
Scripture tells us that God isn’t too happy with replacement refs either. No, I don’t think He cares who wears the striped outfits on Sunday afternoons and Monday nights, but He is very clear that He doesn’t approve of people trying to replace Him as judge – something He is clearly the only One qualified to do.
Many are familiar with the command in Matthew, “Judge not, lest you be judged,” but many people fail to realize why we are told that. It is because we are not qualified. Psalm 9:8 reminds us that, “He shall judge the world in (his) righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in (his) uprightness.” God is the only one perfect and holy enough to judge us. We are not qualified to be a person’s judge, and when we do, we are assuming a throne or a bench that does not belong to us. As a matter of fact, God warns us that if we pursue judging others harshly and without mercy, He will judge us in the same vane (which could sometimes go against His otherwise merciful nature).
As we can see on the football field, it is not a pretty sight when people try to judge something even though they are clearly in over their heads. I can only imagine the sight is even uglier to God when we try to replace Him as people’s refs. That’s what I’ll try to remember throughout this lockout.
Go Bengals!
DEREK HOLMES :: blog 