The last two seasons I haven’t watched any NFL games. Since all of the silly SJW/woke stuff became the theme of most professional sports, I’ve lost interest in watching. Once in awhile I’ll see a headline, read an article, or watch a clip because I do still like sports. It’s just not something I spend much time on anymore. As most sports fans know, it’s quite common for players and even coaches to thank God for a great performance or victory. We really never know who is genuine. Personally, I don’t believe every person referencing God at a joyous moment is a reflection of their relationship with God. That said, this clip of the Baltimore Ravens’ Coach John Harbaugh seems awfully genuine to me. The link below has the video which is only 1:30 long.
At about the 0:50 mark, Harbaugh says,
Sometimes the way God works is He makes it clear to us that it could be no other reason for the things that happen. In other words, He’s going to tell you that the glory belongs to Him, and that’s the only place it can go…
For those of you who don’t know (or care) what happened in the football game, his star quarterback completed an improbable late completion when a drop would have ended the game. That was followed by his star kicker hitting a record-setting 66-yard field goal as time expired to win the game. Typically that is a time when you are filled with a sense of pride as a player, teammate, fan, or coach. However, Coach Harbaugh’s speech is filled with praise for the other team and coach, a feeling of humility, keeping the faith through adversity, and a desire to give all the glory to God. I don’t know a lot about his life or his relationship with God, but it sure seemed genuine. Regardless, there are some good takeaways for us.
No matter what, there’s no other place we can give the glory. Many times we want to keep it for ourselves, but the truth is only God deserves it.
It IS hard to keep the faith through adversity, but we are still called to do just that. God is in control through the highs and lows of our lives. Acknowledging this fact and choosing to trust God despite our doubts, fears, and shortcomings is an important part of walking with God.
There’s never a bad time to speak about God and our faith in Him. Coach Harbaugh will no doubt be accused of ridiculous things because of this speech. He will be met with the old, “Yeah, like God cares about football,” line. So what?! If people are actually willing to listen to him (or us when we share), then they will realize it’s about much more than just the matter at hand. Why? Because God is in the business of ALL things.
I believe it’s an important habit to give God the glory for all things in our lives. Even things we feel God may not care about or things we feel are easy to do. They may only be “easy” because God give us an able body and mind, or some specific talent. Doesn’t He deserve the thanks and glory for that too? While I agree with Coach Harbaugh that God does indeed show us circumstances where we know there is no other explanation than God; that doesn’t change the reality that in ALL circumstances the explanation should still be God! The issue really comes down to whether we are willing to recognize that and give Him glory. So, do you agree that other than God, there is no other place to give the glory?