Get Your Football Pants On

My husband has a certain sermon that he is well known for.  

It has appeared and reappeared numerous times over the past 12 years,
always inspiring no matter if you have heard it before.
In our BC years, (Before Children) we were great NFL fans.  

He has been on the coaching staff of various football teams 

during our married life, 

and football has been a favorite sport since high school.  

Thus, the illustration of football pants came easily and naturally.

The gist of this favorite sermon seems appropriate for Superbowl Sunday, although I think it is much more fun to have a young man 

attempt the illustration in person, as Brian has done in the past.  

You will just have to use your imagination.

 

In Colossians chapter three Paul encourages believers to “put on” 

the godly virtues of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience… bearing with one another, and forgiving one another as the Lord has forgiven us.  But then, in verse 14 he ties the clincher… 

“And above all these put on love, 

which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

Love is like football pants.

Imagine trying to play an effective game of football 

while trying to hold all the protective pads in place.  

You might be able to hold them in place 

but I will guarantee you won’t be an effective football player!!! 

  

It is the same when we “try” to be patient, kind, compassionate, forgiving, humble, etc. without love.  

We spend all our time policing ourselves 

trying not to “drop” one of the virtues… 

however, if we will truly love… 

all those other virtues will be held in place, 

where they belong.

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."

- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a