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Big Ben and the value of your name

Big Ben will go down as a Hall of Fame Quarterback in the NFL.  He is a very talented player and plays for one of the most storied franchises in all of sports.  I should know...I lived in Western Pennsylvania for about 5 years.  The Steelers breathe life into the Steel City and the entire region.  Big Ben came into the league and had instantaneous success.  It didn't take Pittsburgh fans long to fall in love with Ben.

One of the things, that became apparent in Ben's life and to the world, was his faith.  Big Ben is a Christian.  Ben even sought to have the following initials on his cleats, "PFJ".  PFJ stands for "Play for Jesus".  A likable guy?  Yes.  Talented? Oh yeah! Role model?...yep.  So what's the problem?  

Ben made poor choices.  One who gives God glory on the field and in the locker room is also expected to do the same in private. If you are going to talk the talk...you have to walk the walk.  About a year ago, Big Ben was accused of sexually assaulting not one...but two women.  I won't go into the details.  It's bad enough.  Big Ben was not charged with any crimes but his reputation was tarnished.  

Now, you may be saying...Dan, isn't this post just a tad late?  This is old news. Yes, yes it is. However, Ben is making headlines again today in
announcing his upcoming marriage.  He also has announced that he won't be living with his fiance until they are married this June.

This has raised many questions.  Why would Ben, live such a carefree lifestyle, having sex with multiple women...to now want to live to a higher standard?  Because he is human.  He screwed up.  He has asked for forgiveness and has been granted grace and fresh start.  A very smart move.  I understand it.  I get it.  The rest of the world doesn't.  Every choice you make matters.  The bad ones and even the good ones.

We should not hold his sins against him since God has forgiven him.  However, the one thing that we can't get off our mind is his name.  Ben's nights of passion will be remembered as his biggest folly.  He'll be remembered by many as the guy who said he wanted to live like Jesus but really lived like Hugh Hefner.  

Your name is valuable.  Don't believe me?  What images or thoughts come to your mind when you read these names.

Tiger Woods.

Albert Einstein.

Barry Bonds.

Charlie Sheen.

Billy Graham.

Mother Theresa.

Dan Sardinas.

Your name.

Just hearing a person's name can paint a picture.  It paints a picture of what people remember the most.  Unfortunately that's the way it is.  Some people will remember Ben the Super Bowl Champion.  Some will remember the Ben the guy who couldn't keep his pants on.

What does the bible say about protecting your name?

"A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." - Proverbs 22:1 (NIV)

"A good name is better than fine perfume..." Ecclesiastes 7:1

What if you are thinking right now..."Ok..Dan.  I've blown it.  I've really screwed up.  My name is tarnished.  What now?"

There is good news.  Even though the consequences of sin does not go away....there is still hope.  There is peace.  There is forgiveness.  There is grace.  There is renewal.  The gospel doesn't let us go back in time...but it does give us freedom to not be weighed down from the guilt of our past.  There is grace available.  The gospel gives us all a brand new fresh start.  Thank God for good news.

What's your legacy? What do people think of when they hear your name?  What are you doing to protect your name?  Do you need forgiveness?  A fresh start? 

Ben got a fresh start.  His name will be ruined in the eyes of many people.  But he now stands forgiven and set free in the eyes of God.  How about you?

A breakdown of Tiger Woods' Confession to the World

 

By now we are all well aware of the entire Tiger Woods saga.   Even if you've been living underneath a rock for the last few weeks, you would still know what Tiger has done.   Tiger, the world's best golfer, perhaps of all time.....has admitted to having slept with numerous women.  This poses problems on many levels; however none more so than the fact that he is a married man.  Many women are coming out of the wood work right now claiming to have had an affair with Tiger.  I'm sure not all of these women can be telling the  truth.  However, I'm afraid now, after Tigers confession that there are many, many hiding in the lurks.  I'm sure that Tiger doesn't even now the exact number of women he has had an affair with. That is is an incredibly sad sentence.  You can watch Tiger's confession below.   Watch first then read the rest of this post.

I have seen and read many things in the last few days following this statement by Tiger.  Some of the negative things I have read have focused on Tiger's sincerity.  I can see why some would question this.  Was Tiger truly sorry for his sins?...(he calls them "issues").  Or was he just sorry to get caught? Whatever the answer is.......that is none of our business.  There is no doubt that Tiger screwed up.  And he screwed up big.   He has asked for forgiveness and we must forgive.   Only God knows his true motive.    Catch a Tiger by his toe.....if he hollers let him go.  Tiger wants forgiveness....and is asking for help.   So we must give it.   His adultery is no different from the sin that you find yourself trapped in.  If you were in Tiger's shoes you would want the same respect, forgiveness and grace.    For many years....many have thought as Tiger as some sort of God.   He is mortal after all.  Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and have come short of the Glory of God.  

Here are some observations.... 

1.  Tiger admits he has done wrong. He says,  "I had an affair, I cheated."  He is not making excuses.  He is not blaming the women.  He is not blaming his fame.  He says, "I am the only person to blame." He is admitting he has a huge problem and is seeking help.  To me this is huge.  I'm glad he didn't come out and say "If I offended you.......".  He knows he has offended.  He is owning up to his failure.

2.  Tiger knows that his true apology, to his wife, will come by actions (behavior)  not words.  I think this statement was huge.  Actions always speak louder than words.  Talk is cheap.  Don't tell somebody you love them....show them.   Love is a verb.

3.  Tiger admitted that he was rationalizing his sin.  He says, "I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that normal rules didn't apply." & he also said  " I felt I had worked hard my entire life...and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me."  "I felt I was entitled".   This is something that is key for all of us!   How often do we rationalize our sin?   May we learn from his mistake.

4.  "I have a lot to atone for". Even though I know what Tiger is getting at here....it's still not true. Tiger needs to know that the true atonement for his sins is found in Jesus Christ... not in himself.   Even though the Buddhist manta that he quoted sounded good....the only way to overcome his sin is through a bloody cross.  The freedom found in Christ is the way to break free from this curse of sin.

This whole situation reminds me David's confession in the Bible after having sex with Bathsheba, (a married woman).   Yes...Tiger Woods is not King David.  However...read Psalm 51 and you'll find a lot of similarities to Tiger's statement.  In closing...Pray for Tiger.  Enough said.

My own "Footprint" moment

The other day while at the beach;  I stood on the shore just far enough in so the waves would crash around me.  I love doing this.  Before long the natural will happen...the longer I stand in one spot the deeper I sink as the waves erode the sand around me.  As I stood there watching my kids play in the beautiful warm blue water I had a beautiful moment of truth.

So the longer I stood there in the sand the deeper I went.  If I took a step and left that spot I would see my once very visible footprint disapear.  I've seen this happen many times before in my life.... but never before have I thought about it in this way. 

 

Even though we know we are forgiven we still feel the weight of our guilt upon us for our past sins.  Sometimes we can't move forward because we make our selves  "sink" deeper underneath the weight of our sin.  Everytime we feel God's forgiveness come and readily made available we don't fully accept it....because somehow we don't feel we are worthy.  But what if we would just understand and accept the truth that God's Grace is bigger than our sin?  What if I grasped that Christ's sacrifice is more than sufficent to forgive me and everybody in the world?  If I just would accept this than my guilt and sin would disappear.  I then in turn could move on and be a powerful witness to the world.

 

The longer we stand in the sand and sink in our guilt and sin the longer we are defeated.  It's time to lift up our foot and take the next step and watch our past sins and guilts be washed away because of the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for us.  When we recject God's grace and continue in our guilt we are making the impact of God's Grace upon our lives of null effect.  We should feel remorseful and repentant over our short comings...but once we approach God through Christ it is taken care of.  

 

So take your foot out of the sand and watch the waves crash on the shore and take away what was holding you back.  God is good!