On referees and original sin

"For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me." Psalm 51: 3-5


I have a love/hate relationship with referees - well truth be told...mostly the latter. This goes all the way back to when I was a kid playing soccer and basketball, and extends to the present day as I watch my kids play from the stands. In my mind, I am convinced that the referees (lovely people I am sure when they are not wearing stripes) are conspiring against my children, and in fact, myself personally. And well, far be it for me not to point this out to them, in the hopes that perhaps I might re-direct their attention to the ineptitude of their officiating (I mean it's the least I can do right? A public service).

Truth be told, I have left a couple games feeling embarrassed for myself - ashamed of my actions. I often envy those other parents who can sit there contentedly with a smile - simply enjoying the spectacle of their kid having fun. For me, I get emotionally involved in the game, and my passions sometimes lead my mouth to criticize folks that in any other arena of life, I would never dream of speaking such harsh statements. I don't intend to go to the game and get bent out of shape over the refereeing...sometimes, it just happens, despite my desire not to let it.

Perhaps you have an area in your life as well in which you struggle to do what is right despite your best intentions. If we are truly honest with ourselves, we all have these areas in our lives.

The Bible goes so far as to say, that we were "sinful from birth, sinful from the time of conception." In other words, the moment we cast our first labored infant breath - we all possessed a natural proclivity to sin. It is our default or reflex tendency to do the wrong thing in the eyes of God. I can't say that I really like this truth...but I suppose that doesn't stop it from being true.

The hope that I have in my sinful human condition rests in Jesus - the embodiment of the mercy, loving kindness, and grace of God. Jesus came and died to free me and you from the enslavement of our sinful nature. Oh, it still haunts us, and will continue to do so until we get to heaven - but Jesus in his forgiveness, enables us to do holy, noble, and righteous things. Jesus in his tender care for us, fills us with His Spirit to empower us to lose our thirst for sin. In Christ, we are gradually being formed more and more into holiness.

God hasn't given up on me, and he hasn't given up on you. I may still have a natural tendency towards referee animosity, but thanks be to my great and merciful God, I am forgiven, and I am improving. And at the least, the whole biblical idea of being born desiring to do the wrong thing, gives me some means of explaining just what was going on in the heads of some of those referees ;)

May you know the forgiveness and holiness of God in your life as well.

Be God's, Scott