Tough Choice: Sex or Baseball? (Part 3)

Continued from Part 1 and Part 2.

Two loves of my life: my wife and baseball. Which love is of greater importance? Baseball was my idol growing up, but what is my idol now? Baseball? No. My wife? No. God is my idol. I want to please him with all of my behaviors, words, and thoughts.

Since Jesus is my idol, He gives me instruction on how I should prioritize the rest of my life. The obvious answer to my dilemma is to turn off baseball and focus on my wife. God wants husbands to love their wives sacrificially. Like a servant. A servant to his wife, like Jesus was a servant to the church.

It certainly seems very obvious for me to turn off the tv on my wedding night, but why do so many men get it wrong later in their marriage? Why do so many men focus on sports or hobbies more than their wives?

Because men are selfish, sinful, and act as though they themselves are God. They focus on their own desires and needs instead of the needs of their wives. They are not being servants to their wives as Jesus was to the church. They are being BAD examples.

Is it wrong to watch baseball? No. Is it wrong to be interested in stuff other than your wife? No. Is it wrong to make baseball a higher priority than the woman God entrusted you with for the rest of your life? Yes. Clearly.

God calls a husband to fulfill his duty to his wife. In my case, that certainly means no baseball on our wedding night. Fulfilling my duty to my wife in this situation would be to not even mention baseball to her that night. However, I might have another dilemma. What if the Indians make it to the World Series? The first Series game is right in the middle of our honeymoon! Oh no! Does this mean that I can't watch it? Not necessarily...

I have talked with her about this and it's very difficult to come to agreement on "what if this happens" or "what if that happens." But I have to remember that my duty to her, and ultimately to God, is that I make sure that she feels like she is more important to me than anything else. I don't think she'll mind if I watch the World Series in our hotel room on our honeymoon. As long as she feels loved and not a lower priority than the baseball game.

I am beginning a new life with my almost new wife. I am totally pumped because even in just the relatively short time that I have been engaged to her, I already love her more than the day I proposed. But in order for my love to keep growing for her and our relationship to grow to represent Jesus' relationship with the church, I have to think about the future.

In the future, life will be different. Every other day won't be like our wedding day. Every other day won't be like our honeymoon. Every other day won't be picture perfect. I am hoping that every time that something comes up in my life to distract me from my lovely wife, that I will set it aside and make sure that she is my greatest priority under Christ. That's what pleases the Lord. And He is my idol.

Game 1 of the 2007 ALDS begins in a few hours for the Indians and Yankees. Now I know where my priorities are. Now I can comfortably cheer for my beloved team, knowing full well that it is nothing compared to the love for my wife.

GO TRIBE!!!

Photo from here.