THE PERFECT FOOTBALL TEAM

Ephesians 6:1-4

          The days have finally counted down and the football season is here. Those of you that know me understand that I’m obsessed with football. Football has always been a passion of mine. I grew up watching it with my family and loved it. Every Sunday after church we would have food and friends over for the game. Once in a while it was just my family and that was wonderful too. We not only enjoyed watching games but we enjoyed being together. I definitely see that with my family. It’s almost like a tradition I can now share with them. Every Sunday after church we huddle together and watch football. Even though we don’t agree on teams we all enjoy being together and rooting our favorite team on.

          My husband and I also enjoy adding to our football addiction by playing fantasy football. We are in a number of leagues with friends and family. This is where you pick players of certain positions from different teams; this makes your fantasy football team for the season. For the most part I usually draft a pretty decent team. That started to make me think about the team I have at home. It’s great to have a passion or hobby but in all seriousness one of the most important things to me is the team I’m raising at home. God hand-picked quite the team when He considered our family. Over the three day weekend we spent a great deal of time cleaning the house. Each child went through his/her rooms and cleaned it from top to bottom. Numerous other chores followed such as yard work, cleaning carpets, getting rid of summer clothes, etc. The hard work was well received by each child. They were pleased with the outcome and sense of accomplishment. The surprising thing to me was the lack of complaining. Other than contemplating throwing certain toys away or whether a favorite outfit still fit the complaining was literally non-existent. The respect and commitment I endured was very pleasing. This absolutely must be a result of how my husband and I are raising our children. They understand hard work leads to a reward.
    
          Too many times I have seen parents become push overs. From giving into their children’s tantrums or trying to be the cool parent to remaining hands off and letting the iPad or television raise their kids. That has unfortunately become the norm. Teaching children responsibility and respect is not a priority anymore. Since when did our children become in charge of our households?

          Since…uh, NEVER in this household. I will not hesitate for a moment when it comes to instilling a strong work ethic in my children. Nor will I tolerate disrespect. Trust me I have some of the busiest and most active kids there are but there is always time for family chores and lessons on respect. Being a faithful family you really need to consider how you run your team. In our family Christ is our coach, my husband and I are His captains and our children make up the rest of our team. My husband and I are the leaders of the team as we set the challenging boundaries (sidelines) for our children to work within and from that they build a solid foundation of respect and honor. They work hard and do as we say because they know in the end it’s a win for themselves and more importantly, for the team. Christ will always be in charge of the play calling in our family and we will respond to Him with a touchdown every single time.