Feb 3, 2012
Transformational Thought
Super Bowl Sunday has almost become a national holiday. It’s the most-watched TV show with 111 million viewers, taking in $2.8 million for a 30 second commercial, and it’s the biggest betting day of the year. On this day more employees “call-out-sick”, 1 billion wings are eaten, the most pizzas are ordered, and unfortunately, it’s the worst day for domestic violence.
The Super Bowl is an unbelievable event … so much emotion, buildup, and expectations. The winner is remembered and worshiped forever, and the loser is branded a choker… forever, or until they get back again and win. The commercials, halftime mega-shows, plays, players, and personalities are seared in our minds or become societal icons.
One Super Bowl a year is enough, just ask my wife. Can you imagine 2 a year, or one per month, or heaven forbid, weekly Super Bowls? We would be overwhelmed, on edge, emotionally spent, fed up, bankrupt, hung-over, and paralyzed.
But you see, life is the same way. We have “Super Bowl” events … meeting God, getting married, birthing a child, losing a loved one, starting day-1 on the dream job, having an affair, taking grand vacations, learning a child has a disability, starting school, helping a child leave for college, experiencing divorce, getting fired, coping with a natural disaster, 9/11. You get the idea … they don’t happen every week. Then we have some “playoff game” events whose immediate and long term impact are important but smaller. And some other life events rank on the very-important-regular-season-game level.
The reality: 99% of life is either a regular season game or even a preseason game in level of importance and impact. The problem: we react to many of our daily events as if they had the importance and impact of a Super Bowl or playoff game. To prove it to you, we forget these same events within 1-15 days. We can’t handle the emotional rollercoaster of 6 Super Bowls a year, let alone 3 Super Bowls a day. While only few people are “drama queens”, most people fall into the Super Bowl mentality trap. We erroneously feel many things in life are all-important and life-changing.
Patients, both male and female, tell me they have been impacted by one question I’ve asked, namely, “Does that event really rate the ‘Super Bowl’ level of importance you are giving it?” The question really helps people gain a more eternal, realistic, and Godly perspective about everyday events.
Today, remember Super Bowl-magnitude events usually occur once or twice a year. Look at how you react to minor disruptions and ask yourself, “Is this situation really a Super Bowl event in magnitude and long term impact, or am I having an exaggerated response?” If you are inappropriately “Super Bowling” it, ask yourself “Why?” and “How often do I do this?” Parents, you’ll probably be amazed as you contemplate your reactions to your kid’s behavior. Life is your decision, so choose well.
Prayer
Dear Father God, thanks for being sovereign over all things … this truth, and my faith in Your sovereignty gives me such peace in most situations. I confess though, that sometimes I over-react to the spiritual warfare and minutiae of the day and blow it into a Super Bowl level of importance. Give me discernment and the Mind of Christ to realize what really is important and what isn’t. I pray this in the name of the greatest ‘Super Bowl’ event of all time, Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection; And all God’s children say – AMEN!
The Truth
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Luke 12:25,26
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:15-17