March is Maddness

March is the month of basketball. College basketball goes on a month long intensive tournament where productivity across the country drops significantly. In fact an organization estimated that as a result of the tournament American firms would suffer a $1.8 billion loss in productivity. That's incredible, and I am realizing this month more than most just how easy it is for us to place something ahead of God on our priority list. Especially for myself, because I am a huge sports buff and can spend hours looking up nothing on espn.

Idols are everywhere in our American society, and we are oblivious to them, It's just normal. Just a thought how many hours this month did you spend watching the tournament, now think about how much time you spent in the Word of God and in prayer. Does it even reach half the total amount of time you spent watching basketball? If your not a big sports person what about other TV programs, or perhaps video games, whatever it is that is leisure activities. What kind of a ratio is it between that activity and reading the Bible.

For myself I realize that I have cared so much more about basketball than I have about my God. I was more interested in my Ohio State Buckeyes winning it all that I forgot about the God of the universe. When Ohio State did lose I was shocked and devastated, and I got this same shock of how much I idolize Ohio State, just how much time I spend caring about a basketball or football team rather than worrying about learning of the God of the Bible.

I also got to thinking are we as a society more shocked when our basketball teams lose or when I tell you that 13,000 children die from hunger a day? Are we more shocked when VCU goes to the Final Four or when you hear that there are over 2.4 billion people who haven't even heard the name of Jesus. Where are our priorities in this country?

I pray that we would let go of our idols and set our sole focus back on God and advancing his gospel. The devil has brought upon American an apathetic and unconcerned attitude for the lost, and I hope that we can break out of such an attitude.