How Bad Do You Want Jesus?

I attended the OU vs. Idado State football game a few weeks ago with my daughter (Lauren), my son (Nick), and their friend (Jeffery). It started at 6 PM and if you didn't know, it was pouring down rain that night. We bundled up and got to our seats because we were just as interested as the other 80,000 plus people about how well Landry Jones, the backup quarterback would play. I wasn't very smart because I wore jeans instead of a more water-proof fabric, and with the temperature in the 60's, it was kind of cold. Before the first quarter was over, my kids wanted to go underneath the stadium to get something to eat and to get out of the rain. Jeffery reluctantly went with them even though he wanted to stay and watch the game. I finally went down at the end of the 1st quarter and we ate and stayed below for the 2nd quarter watching it on the TVs underneath the stadium. When it was almost half-time, and OU was leading 34-0, I went up the ramp to see if the rain had let up and to watch a few plays. The rain was coming down harder and the crowd was still 75,000 plus strong - watching a blowout, getting wet, shivering in the cold. The same thing happened in Blacksburg, VA this past weekend as Virginia Tech destroyed Miami in a pouring rain, and the fans (even the Miami ones) stayed until the end.

On the day after Thanksgiving, people will get up at unbelievably early hours to stand in ungodly lines to try to get a bargain on sale items. If a concert is general admission (no assigned seating), people will arrive early and push through the crowd to get the best seats in the house. At football games, people will arrive hours early to "tailgate" just to get ready for the game. People read the sports section every day in the paper or on the internet to keep up with their teams. They read the sales circulars to see if anything is on sale. People listen to their favorite recording artists on their ipod and memorize every word to every song. People spend millions of dollars on tickets, concessions, Cd's, hats, t-shirts, etc.

You probably know where I am going with this, but how much does this remind you of your journey with God? I've actually had someone tell me that they didn't attend church on a given Sunday because it was raining and they didn't want to drive in the rain. I know people don't fight to get the front row seats at church. Have you ever stood in line and pushed through the crowd to make sure you got a seat at church? Have you ever showed up early to "tailgate" (not a bad idea, but I'm thinking more along the lines of preparing for a celebration)? Do you read the Bible daily to make sure you know what's going on in the spiritual realm? Are you willing to spend as much money on your spiritual development as you do on entertainment? Do you memorize Scripture like you do your favorite songs or useless facts?

I'm not trying to discourage you! In fact, I want to encourage you. Listen, there is nothing more important than your relationship with God through his Son, Jesus, and I just think it's about time to start living like the followers of Christ we say we are. How much do you want Jesus? Do you want him more than all the other things of life? He wants you that much! You consume his thoughts! How about we do the same for Him?

Let me know if you want to tailgate Sunday! I'll cook breakfast.