Awkward Family Super Bowl Moment

The Monday after Super Bowl always brings varied reviews about all aspects of the big game. Who didn't have something to say about the Super Bowl? Rating commercials. Old and young Quarterbacks. Fumbles and fall out.  Pre-game show. Half-time show. Post-game show. Oh, and we can't forget that the old man comes out a winner. Hooray for Peyton! I didn't really care who won, so I was quite happy to sit back, enjoy good conversation with friends and family and halfway watch it.

 

Winner of Awkward Family Super Bowl Moment: Eli Manning!!!!  So, the Manning family probably can't hide at the Super Bowl. Bless their hearts. So, when things began to look like a Denver win, the whole family began doing flips in the press box. Everyone except Eli Manning. Poor guy. He looked kind of sad, like he had just woken up from a long winter nap.

 

Today, I happened to see the clip of Peyton Manning and Jimmy Fallon. Peyton got why Eli wasn't going crazy like the rest of the family when it was 24-10.... Eli was analyzing the game and thinking about it as if he were playing. He had his game face on. Then, Jimmy and Peyton began to ask questions of a life-sized cutout of Eli, with his expressionless face. Too cute.

 

I hope Eli was able to chuckle over his sudden Super Bowl popularity. Most of us probably wouldn't appreciate photo shoots when least expected. I suppose we wouldn't enjoy being the object of all these jokes. Finally, as an introvert, I'd much rather watch the game with a small group, without the whole world popping in on my family gathering.

 

Why do we care so much about the opinions of others? I love this quote from Ed Welch, who wrote "When People Are Big and God is Small." "Too often, we value the opinions, statements, and encouragement of others more than those of God himself. When people become more important than God, we crave seeking their acceptance, their value and their love. When that doesn't come, we're disappointed." Welch says "Liberation from the fear of man has three components: We must have a biblically informed knowledge of God, other people and ourselves." How has people become big and God become small in your life? Whom do you fear? How has it affected your life and relationships?

 

Now is the time to free yourself from this paralyzing issue. Fearing others more than God is debilitating. As we come to fear the Lord, we will no longer need to fear people. Simple truth, but it takes discipline, determination and prayer to change.

 

"Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe." Proverbs 29:25

 

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.