Pretty Little Lies: It's Ok to Be Obsessed with Sports

Pretty Little Lies: A Series

"Things That Satan Tells The World ... That We Believe."

Our society is being lied to. Because so many of us are obsessed with sports at this day and age, we all feel no pressure whatsoever to examine ourselves and see if we might be going overboard. Or to see if we might be "checking out of reality" with our minds always occupied by games that someday won't matter. Here is what two men who have examined themselves on the subject had to say. The first is from a Christian point of view, and the other is from a man who writes on a Blog titled : BECOME A BETTER MAN. That says it all, doesn't it? But not to be too hard on the men, here, us women can be some crazy fanatics ourselves. I hope this will be something that doesn't put you on the defensive, but maybe opens your mind to be more aware of if your love for sports is healthy or unhealthy. Satan is going to tell you that it is healthy, and that your family doesn't care and God doesn't mind. But that's always his job. Don't let him lie to you.

ARE YOU OBSESSED?

Many Christians have been diverted from their testimony for Christ into the never-ending life of sports fanaticism. It seems we have traded our bibles for scorecards. There are many Christians who care too much for the world of sports and too little for the things of Christ. As a believer
it is my responsibility to prevent myself from being dominated by anything or anyone except Christ. (Romans 6:12) We must remember that Christ said we cannot serve two masters. If our mind is on sports, it will not be on the things of Christ. Our lives are governed by an exchange principle. If I choose worldly things, I have then exchanged God for the world, and vice versa.
Sports is the easiest and most innocent appearing vice which can rule our minds. I would like to list fifteen traits a person obsessed with sports may exhibit:

1. You talk more about sports than the Bible.
2. You listen to sports on the radio instead of music.
3. You take the Lord’s name in vain if you become angry at a play.
4. You eat in front of the TV set so you can watch the game.
5. You find you have to "hurry home" so you will not miss any part of the game.
6. You constantly speak of sports.
7. You bet on games.
8. You neglect your family for sports.
9. You disturb other employees on the job just to talk about sports.
10. You only read the sports section of the newspaper.
11. You stay up late to watch the game or play a sport, even on a work or school night.
12. You miss the evening service for a sporting event.
13. You turn the game on during a meal.
14. You keep the game on or only watch sports when company visits.
15. You neglect spiritual studies for sports.

Satan has arranged the world of sports to keep minds in bondage to it. In Fall we have football, which flows into hockey and basketball in the Winter, which flows into baseball and golf in the Spring and Summer, which flows back into football in the Fall.
If some of the listed characteristics are present in you, then Satan has built a stronghold in your life. Our church and country are in perilous times and all we seem to care about are the scores of last night’s game. The sports craze has numbed many Christians. Some
churches reschedule their evening service on Superbowl Sunday so people will get home in time to serve their other god. There was a time when God received our attention seven days a week, then society pushed it back to Sunday, now we run home from church to read the sports
section of the paper, now God’s time is cut to one hour. One hundred years from now the SuperBowl will mean nothing. Sports has been used by Satan to numb both Christian and non-Christian to surrounding situations in church and country. It has worked because "Sports is the God of the Ignorant." Listen to after church conversation. Don’t get mad, evaluate!

From the a blog called: BECOME A BETTER MAN ....

When 99% of people say this is a glorious time of year, they’re commenting on the flowers blooming, the days becoming longer and the warm spring air hugging you every time you walk outside. Unlike you, they’re not saying it’s a great time of year for watching sports.
Take stock of yourself Take a moment to inventory your life: Is your wife and family a priority? Is an active lifestyle important to you? Do you have a rewarding
profession? Do you have a social life outside of fantasy sports message boards? If you answer “no” to any of those questions, your sports obsession is in the way and you need to put down the remote control and Shaq-Fu your life into shape. You are a sports nerd. Media has made the term “nerd” hip in contemporary society, but you’re not even that kind of nerd. You’re a
geek who idolizes your natural predator, jocks. Do you think gazelles obsess over statistics on what time certain lions run the 40 in? No, because they’re too busy eating, mating and running from lions. In other words, they are living their lives more fully than you.
A sporting season Don’t fool yourself. Don’t claim that your life is simply one-dimensional because the sports season is too good right now. The best teams are squaring off in the NHL and NBA Playoffs. The Kentucky Derby is quickly approaching. And hope abounds with the NFL Draft and first few weeks of baseball season, when all fans can reasonably believe their team will win the World Series, even Cubs fans.

Your sports obsession is year-round. Admit it: Obsessing over slugging percentages and European power forwards is less daunting than being passionate about a career or
social life. Watching others exercise is easier than getting a personal trainer for yourself. The fatter you grow and the worse your life becomes, the more enthralled you are in watching Lebron James’ perfect form. Professional athletes are now your pornography. Not
because you’re questioning your sexuality, but because they embody the fantasy world you can never experience. You use professional sports like dopers use drugs -- to escape from reality.

Your sports hobby stops being healthy when it becomes a sports obsession. With extended cable packages and being constantly plugged-in with smartphones and Wi-Fi, it is now easier than ever to lose yourself in sports. Fandom is not an acceptable surrogate for a rewarding life.

It is time to face a harsh reality. The world does not care how many statistics you have memorized or how many sports talk shows you call in to. People you only communicate with via fantasy league message boards are not friends.

Eject yourself. Unplug the cable. Jog a mile. Take your wife on a date. Get to that pile of laundry that’s grown taller than the kitchen table (and stop putting your dirty laundry in the kitchen). Buy a bed frame and get your mattress off the floor. Stop opening the score clicker on your work computer. Focus on being fully present in your own life. And wait until the All-Star Break to check in on the MLB standings -- it doesn’t get good until then anyway.