Over-Reaction Monday!

Hello Church,

It's over-reaction Monday!!!

As a life-long Bengals fan, I know many of you can appreciate my life-long angst, every September through December.  However, over the years I have become more than a Bengals fan.  I have become an NFL fan.  As such, I also have become pleasantly entertained every Monday, September through December.

Every Monday, many fans either proclaim that their team is going to the Super Bowl or that their team is the worst team ever.  This largely based on what the team did the day before.  This sets the tune for the whole weak.  Proclaiming domination or lamenting absolute disaster.

This is called Over-Reaction Monday.

Why?  Because the NFL is so full of parity that the one team that got crushed one week can eek out a victory the next and visa versa.  By the end of the year, most teams are somewhere between 6-10 and 10-6, defining the mediocrity of the league as a whole.

And yet we don't learn.  We allow ourselves to ride this ridiculous, emotional roller-coaster.  Which leads to a rather significant spiritual lesson.....

The God who leads us in the Faith is as consistent as they come.  Ideally, there should be no roller coaster in the life of the Christian.  The God who 'was and is and is to come' remains steady.  Realistically, however, there is an up and down to our lives even in the context of faith.  Some of us even get caught up in it an make it more up and down than is necessary.

I've been caught calling myself 'even-keeled Joe'... not too high, not too low.  This isn't always true, but I have frustrated others because I didn't express as much joy as they thought I should nor was I as distraught as the situation should have warranted.

My experience has shown me that at least trying to be more even-keeled is healthier.  To me, it is a Faith lesson.  If God is consistent, then shouldn't I live as though I believe in a consistent God?  Even if my circumstance go from great to terrible, God is the same God in the midst of it all and I rely on Him... right?

Think about it.  In the meantime, the Bengals lost in an embarrassing game yesterday.  They just might be the worst team ever.... until next week...  when someone else gets beat worse than them.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe

Pastor Joe is available Sun, Mon, Tue, Thu and Sat for appointments.  You can call/text him at 513-463-7378 or email him at pastorjoe@emmanuel-umc.com to schedule.