A young boy was misbehaving and the mother sent him to his room for what today is called a time out. After a while the boy come out to his mom and says that he has prayed about it and would like to come out of his room. The proud mom says to the boy "God will help you be a good boy and do the right thing." The boy quickly replies, "I didn't pray and ask God to help me be good. I prayed and asked God to help you not be so stressed out with me."
It just so happened that as I was driving this morning and listening to the radio they were discussing one of my pet peeves. They were talking about the football games this weekend and how there are Christians on both teams and fans supporting both teams and how they all were praying for their team. But one team lost and one set of fans ended up disappointed. The Christians on the losing team can certainly make a case to God regarding the loss. Losing does not get you the highest pay. Losing puts jobs at risk and bonus payouts don't happen. Losing means some fans won't return and that reduces revenues for paying players etc., etc,. etc..
So who does God answer or better yet did God answer in favor of the one team over the other? Would the win have gone to the heads of the other team if they had won? Will the winning team give more than the other team would have given. Did one team pray harder or get up earlier and pray longer? You would be surprised at some of these types of prayers I have heard. Here's just one. A husband and wife get a divorce. Both profess to be Christians. The husband goes and marries another woman who also professes to be a christian. The first wife still continues to pray for their marriage to be restored all the while the new wife is praying for a successful marriage. Does anyone else see a dilemma?
The radio announcer had an answer that surprised me. He said, "to pray for your team is selfish." That's what I have always felt. Why not pray for health and safety for all the players? Why not pray for God to somehow be glorified through one of the believers on either team? I think that James would be considered a little over the top in the church today. As for me I think he should be the norm. Our lives are filled with competition. It is everywhere and in everything. The church also is permeated with competition. Personally I have been purposefully working on being less competitive. Before you read James words let me just say that while I have highlighted one line, I am in no way implying that just that line is important. I am not removing it from the context and the full meaning the entire chapter or book of James. As always this blog is just for consideration. Take it or leave it!
James 4:1 WHAT LEADS to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members? 2 You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.] You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain [the gratification, the contentment, and the happiness that you seek], so you fight and war. You do not have, because you do not ask. [I John 3:15.] 3 [Or] you do ask [God for them] and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is [when you get what you desire] to spend it in sensual pleasures.
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