Picks

One of the things I enjoy doing with my two sons is picking games. We especially enjoy picking the NFL games each week. I will admit that I’m not very good at picking or at least I am not as good as either one of my sons, but I still enjoy the friendly competition. And no, there is no wagering… I would go broke and I’m not about to owe my son’s money for something like picking games.
Picking most games is not a problem for me. I normally just go with my gut feeling and chose a team. Where I do have a problem is when it comes to picking the game in which the Dallas Cowboys play. I guess and am what some would call a “Cow-Sheep” . I have followed the cowboys since the beginning of the teams move to Dallas. Growing up I knew three things to be true about Sundays in the fall. One, we would always go to church, two we would always have a great Sunday dinner cooked by my mother and three, if the Cowboys were playing we were watching.
So when it comes to picking the winner of the Cowboys vs. whomever I always pick the Cowboys. It does not matter how bad the team is or who may be injured or whose field they are playing on, I pick the Cowboys to win. Only once or twice have a picked against them and it bothered me all weekend. Those times that I picked against the Cowboys I had to do some mental gymnastics. I picked the other team with my mind and cheered for the Cowboys in my heart. It is not a good feeling to pick your favorite team to lose but cheer for them win. It is a conflict of the heart and mind.
I have good news for everyone. No matter what… God always picks you. That’s right! No matter what you have done in your life, no matter how you feel or think about God or about life or about your situation in life, God always chooses you. When you are spiritually far away from God he is longing for your return. When you are spiritually sitting on the fence he is hoping you will choose to follow him.
Now here is the question for you, do you pick God? I know there are some days that in your heart, mind, soul and strength you choose God, but I also know there are some days that you may pick God with your mind, but not with your heart and if your heart is not choosing God then neither is your strength.
There is a reason Jesus said we need to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and that reason is this, that is how God chooses you and me. God has given his whole heart, mind, soul and strength to loving you and me and that is what he wants in return.
I will never be good at picking NFL games, but I pray that I will always choose to love God with all my being. I am forever thankful that God picks me every day.
Love God. Go Love Others.