Friendly Rivalries

Friendly Rivalries

They remind everyone before the start of the game that it’s a friendly rivalry in the spirit of good sportsmanship and as such we should all behave ourselves no matter the outcome.

Every town and every age group seems to have their rivalries.  For me, in junior high it was my Fairfield Spartans against the Geyer Bulldogs.  In high school it was my South Side Archers against the North Side Redskins.  We called them “the river rats” because their school was by the St. Joseph river.  In college, it was the Fort Wayne Bible College Falcons against the Bethel Pilots.  But this week, I was again reminded that there is no rivalry like the Ohio State Buckeyes and T.T.U.N [The Team Up North], which some refer to as the Michigan Wolverines.

Some say it isn’t a rivalry anymore because Ohio State has won fourteen of the last sixteen meetings, yet Michigan still leads in the overall record 58-48, with six ties.  Last Saturday was a game for the ages as Ohio State came from behind to win in double-overtime, 30-27.

Then two days later, tragedy struck the campus of Ohio State, as a Muslim extremist drove his vehicle into a crowd of students and then jumped out of the car wielding a knife, attacking those close by.  Michigan players immediately tweeted out their support and encouragement to those affected by the attack.  Concern for a fellow combatant superseded the rivalry.

The Urban Dictionary defines a “friendly rivalry” as “A connection shared between people who can’t stand each other’s guts but don’t dislike each other either.”  That about sums up this rivalry.  We can’t stand them but we need them so we put up with them.  OSU engineering professor William Clark was among the victims in Monday’s knife attack.  After the ordeal, Clark reminded everyone what is really important, “University campuses are vulnerable to this kind of thing because we are an open society where young people can grow up and learn and make a certain amount of mistakes.”  He continued, “We’re still a great university.  We still beat Michigan!”

For many Christians, their relationship with Satan falls under this category of “friendly rivalry.”  We “hate his guts” yet we “don’t totally dislike him” either.  He’s our bitter enemy yet some Christians choose to follow his playbook.  They wear the “Jesus” jersey yet they do things that make people question which side they are really on.  These people go to church on Sunday yet cuss out the person who cuts them off in traffic.  They put $10 in the offering plate at church but fail to lift a hand to help a neighbor.  They tell people how much they care about their circumstances and that they are praying for them, then gossip about them to others.  This is called fraternizing with the enemy.  How long will Christians continue this love-hate relationship with the devil?  It’s like me wearing a Michigan shirt to an OSU rally.  I don’t think that would go over very well with those sitting beside me.

In Philippians 3:18-20, Paul has some very pointed words for those who call themselves Christian but live as though they are not.  “For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.   They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.  But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.”  [NLT]

As Christians we must be all in.  Our loyalties are to lie with Christ.  If you’re a Christian today whose actions or attitudes do not line up with your faith testimony, I encourage you to do one of two things.

1. Quit saying you hate Satan while continuing to do the very things that make him smile, or...

2. If you refuse to change your worldly lifestyle, quit saying you love Jesus.  You make it harder for others who do, who want to live a life “worthy of their calling,” who want to make a difference in God’s kingdom and who want to share the good news with others. 

This may sound a bit harsh but there is no friendly rivalry when we talk about spiritual warfare.  Satan is not a friendly rival; he isn't just someone we cheer against.  He is our bitter enemy who seeks to do us harm.  If you do things that please him, the Apostle Paul says that makes you an enemy of the cross of Christ as well.  You can’t have it both ways, so quit trying.