Above all else

I wonder what my children think when they look at me. Do they think, "He's against bad posture" or "He doesn't want us to have a sore back like him in future". Do they think, "He's against laziness" or "He believes we can be awesome if we do our best". Do they think, "He's against lying" or "He loves me even when I lie". Today's culture prizes warm fuzziness and unconditional support, so you might think I want the latter more than the former.  But actually, I think both are important.  C.S. Lewis said, in The Problem of Pain, "Of all the powers, love forgives the most, and condones the least." Love forgives the most.  But condones the least.  It's true that I love my kids, and I will love them no matter what mischief they get up to.  It's true that I think they can be awesome and I will continue to think so even when they let me down.  But they know, and I want them to know,...

So the NBA Finals are currently underway, with a rematch between the current champions, the Golden State Warriors, against the team they defeated last year, the Cleveland Cavaliers.  The Golden State Warriors are led by their double MVP point guard Stephen Curry, who happens to be a Christian.  I just read this quote from him, in which he said: Being a Christian athlete doesn't mean praying for your team to win.  God doesn't give the edge to those who pray, over those who don't; hard work does that.  Being a Christian athlete means competing for Christ, in a way in which you always give your all for Him, and win or lose, you thank Him for the ability and opportunity to play.  It means giving all the glory to God, no matter the outcome, because you trust in His plan for your life. That's really interesting.  I've lost count of the times I've prayed for Liverpool win.  It doesn't seem to work most of the time.  So maybe Stephen Curry is on to ...