Just in time for Super Bowl Sunday:
Asked if they believe God plays a role in who wins, 27% of Americans said yes. Poll results varied among regions and religions: 36% said yes in the South, 28% in the Midwest, 20% in the Northeast and 15% in the West. 1
That might explain why the Southeast Conference in football wins so many games, and why Notre Dame lost to Alabama in the championship game… more people were praying down south.
When I thought about the question, “Does God play a role in who wins and who loses in a sporting event?” I sort of laugh it off. Who really cares, and what difference does it make anyways?
I think the notion though, that 1 in 4 people believe God to play a role (large or small) in a game, speaks to a greater concern about the purpose of God. Is God here to help our plans succeed? Is God in the business of prospering His people? I’m not so sure God exists so that I can have a comfortable life. But a lot of people do.
After all, God himself says in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” That sounds an awful lot like God wants to help you win a football game doesn’t it?
I love that scripture. It’s just too bad we rip it from the context of the story of Jeremiah when we make it about our individual prosperity, today. God is calling Israel to repentance and giving His people, the Israelites, hope that they won’t be in exile in Babylon forever. Where we go wrong so often in our Bible reading is the word “you.” English has both plural and singular forms of “you.” We don’t distinguish between the two unless you live in the south and say “You’all.”
In Jeremiah 29:11, the audience God is speaking to is “you” Israel, a nation of people who are in the midst of exile in Babylon. He isn’t necessarily using this passage as a proof text (a text we use to justify our actions/decisions/feelings) for the person in the locker room having doubts about the coach’s game plan.
God is saying, when the time comes, Israel will return to the land He promised them, and in turn, if they call on Him, He will hear them (look at the verse before and after 11). God will continue His plan to bless and prosper Israel for the sake of God’s Promise to Abraham (Gen 12).
A better way to go about applying this passage to our lives might be in the simple fact that in Jeremiah, God reminds his people that He hasn’t given up on His plan for Israel to be a blessing to the world. Despite their blatant disobedience to God, His patience with them is unmistakable, so much so there is a “future” and “hope” for them. Similarly, God’s forgiveness is still a possibility for all of us who struggle with sin and turn our back on God.
I’m 100% certain that God does play an important role in our lives though. Not so much in football games, but in the most important of arenas, Salvation.
Psalm 85:3,5,7 – ”3You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger. 5Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations? 7Show us your unfailing love, Lord, and grant us your salvation.”
God answered the prayer of Psalm 85, in giving us His Son Jesus Christ. Repent, believe and be saved. And know that however far “gone” you might be, God’s grace is sufficient for you!
Your friend,
Jordan Ickes