Worship Misplaced: How Sports Can Become An Idol

Growing up near Michigan State meant not going downtown during the Michigan vs. Michigan State football game on October 30, 2021, due to the violence, chaos and couch burnings that would take place.

“Over a football game?” I would say. I never quite understood how people could be so hostile when their favorite sports teams lose. The rivalry between these two teams has continued every year since 1949, and it has created a terrible rift between people in the same state who love the same sport.   

Christians can idolize many things, including sports. And when spectating a sport causes  Christians to act in sinful ways, the hobby takes precedence over God. 

I’m not saying Christians should not watch sports. It’s fun to turn on Saturday football with the cool air blowing through the windows and good food to snack on. Attending a sporting event in person is a unique type of atmosphere. Fans are cheering, popcorn is popping, chants are being shouted and much more. That feeling is like no other. But the anger, curse words and social media sports debates must stop in the Christian community. 

God has called us to not look like the world. The world curses and gets enraged at fickle things.

“Sorry I swore. My team just lost,” I heard a Christian say. It made me scratch my head; is this sporting event more important than obeying God? Maybe your uncle Bob posted some vulgar things about your favorite sports team. Should you respond with the same amount of animosity, or should you abstain from getting involved in the conversation? Here’s a good question to ask yourself: Is it glorifying to God?

We are called to glorify God in every aspect of life, which includes spectating sports. So, maybe yelling at the person next to you or screaming at the player on TV isn’t the greatest way to conduct yourself. 

I attended my church, Waymaker.Church, a few Sundays ago, and the sermon was called “Are You Worshipping Idols?” When discussing what idols can look like in our lives, Peter Johnson, the Family Ministries director, said, “It could be the sports that we watch, and if we watch them a little bit too much and that’s all we obsess over, instead of a quiet time in the morning, maybe we’re listening to a podcast or some news about what team did what.”

God calls us to spend time with him and give him our first fruits. If sports are taking the place of our time with God and drawing our focus away from his commands, it may be time to turn off the TV for a little bit.

Sports can be a good way to bond with someone. Maybe you get to work and start talking about the latest game with your co-worker. Maybe you’re debating with your uncle about whether or not the referee should have thrown the flag. While these conversations are not ungodly or wrong, how much time are you spending obsessing and talking about sports? How awesome would it be if we started talking about Jesus the way we talk about our favorite teams?

Johnson went on to say, “Man, how easy we can make idols out of simple things in our world, and how they can take our full attention away from us, and we don’t even know it.”

Maybe sports is a big part of your life, and that’s okay, but don’t become so distracted by the game that it causes you to act in a way that does not honor God. Do not put sports on a pedestal because that will only push God out of your life and out of your heart. Walk away from a sporting event knowing that you obeyed God and showed others what he looks like.

Denny is an opinion writer for the Liberty Champion.