It’s Football Season! Some care, some don’t. In this article, I’m using football as an analogy to make a very serious point about associations and persuasions. Football fan or not, you will be able to relate.

If you’re a fan and you think enough about going to a football game those thoughts produce positive energy: the excitement of being in the stands with thousands of cheering people, the thrill of watching your team score a touchdown. It could even be the smell and taste of a hot dog or an ice cold beer.

Anyone who really loves football and thinks about going to an actual game long enough will eventually find a way to get tickets and go and sit in the stands and enjoy the game. Why? Because that is how our minds work.

When we choose to focus on something, our mind begins to look for opportunities to fulfill what we are thinking about and what we are focusing on. The Bible says to guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life, your life! Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. As he thinks in his heart so is he. It is just the way God designed our minds to function.

What If I Don’t Like Football?

So what about someone who does not like football? They have no interest and could care less. Is it possible for them to go to a game because of thoughts they choose to think?

Suppose someone who doesn’t like football is invited to go to an NFL game, and they politely decline, saying, “Thank you, but I am not interested.” Then the person inviting starts talking about how great it is and how much fun they will have, and even if they don’t like football the experience itself is worth going.

The uninterested person again declines. However, now the thought of going to a game is now present, and it may be a very small thought but nonetheless it is there in the person’s mind. Soon after, the person may hear people talking about how much fun they had at a football game and what a great experience it was.

They may turn on the TV and instead of switching the channel like they normally do when a football game is on, they watch the game for a few minutes and can’t help but notice all those excited fans in the stands. They might even ask someone they know who isn’t necessarily a huge football fan but has gone to a game. That person may tell them that it was a wonderful experience and that they may even go again sometime.

It’s An Analogy

I am using football as a simple analogy, because during this time of year we certainly hear a lot about football, don’t we? Not only are there NFL games on Sundays and Mondays and Thursdays, but let’s not forget about all the college games on the weekends as well as high school games on Friday nights. It really is football season.

From now until February we will be hearing a lot about football, not only from enthusiastic fans that we know, but it almost seems like it is coming from everywhere and everyone. There are TV commercials showing people enjoying beer at a football game. Other shows on TV regularly make references to football. Even on the job there are lots of people so excited about football that many workplaces have football pools each week.

I’m Not Interested

If you are not interested in football, simply ignore all of this bombardment coming from seemingly every direction. Choose to think about something else. Or you could consider that being a football fan might be kind of fun.

Over the course of time depending upon which thoughts a person chooses to think they will either stay uninterested, or become a football fan. They could very well end up a big fan and watch the games on Sundays and get very excited about actually being in the stadium someday.

The direction a person goes in life will largely be determined by the people they associate with as well as how much of the persuasion coming from all directions they allow to take precedent in their mind, regardless of the topic. Our lives are indeed a reflection of those we hang out with. Time spent around good quality people has an impressive impact on our lives and our interactions definitely influence us in a very good and positive way.

On the other hand, the Bible teaches that evil associations will corrupt us. So whether it is something good and beneficial for our lives or whether it is something wrong and detrimental to our lives, our thoughts ultimately determine the direction of our lives. And even though our persuasive culture preaches that we can do whatever we feel like doing, the choice is always ours: we are to guard our own hearts.

I am not a huge football fan. There was a time in my life when I was invited to go to an NFL football game but I declined. I just wasn’t interested.

But being a big baseball fan, I began to consider that it might be fun to go see a football game. It was really more out of curiosity that I finally ended up going. I have been to a total of three games in my whole life.

But if I began watching football every Sunday and Monday and Thursday, and spent lots of time with people who are huge fans of football, it wouldn’t be too long before I would be in the stadium cheering with the rest of the crowd.

Associations And Persuasions

Associations, what we see, what we hear, who and what we choose to get involved with, can be persuasive, and it will bring us to the point of being convinced of something. Whether you are a huge football fan, a casual fan, or not a fan at all, football is very popular and acceptable in our country. As a result, even those who are not fans accept that there are football fans around, and that’s okay with them.

But dog fighting on the other hand has very few fans and in fact is illegal. A few years ago an NFL player who was involved with dog fighting went to jail. Dog fighting in this country is viewed as wrong and most people find it distasteful. But because of the way our minds work, certain associations could lead to persuasions, and you, yes, you, could end up a fan of dog fighting. That’s why the Bible teaches us that evil associations corrupt good morals.

One Final Thought

What if dog fighting was as popular as football is today? What if you could watch it on TV on Sundays and Mondays and Thursdays? What if there were arenas all over the country where you could pay to get in, enjoy some tasty snacks, and cheer for your favorite dog?

If that sounds crazy and absurd and you think it could never happen what about what took place many years ago in the Coliseum in Rome? On a regular basis 50,000 Roman citizens would enter the Coliseum to watch and cheer horrific events involving animals and people. How could thousands of common everyday people sit there, watching and cheering?

God gave us free will, allowing us to choose to think whatever thoughts we want to think, and because of that our minds are really like a garden: the thoughts we think are like seeds. It’s up to us to determine which seeds we allow to grow in our own garden. A great key in doing that is to choose your friends wisely, because the people you associate with will have an effect on your life.

Mike Verdicchio
2013

Don’t Be Shy – Leave A Comment!
Do you have some thoughts about this? We’d love to hear what you think. Just scroll to the bottom of this post and type in your comment. (If you are receiving this post via email or RSS, just click the title above and then scroll to the bottom of the post and type in your comment.)

You Might Also Enjoy:
Positive Or Negative? Video
Choose Your Friends Wisely Video
What Is Unacceptable Behavior?

Share This!
Do you want to share this on your website or Blog? To share on social media, like Facebook or Twitter, there are buttons below.

There’s More!
For past articles, click on the, “Posts” tab above. For past videos and podcasts, mouse over the “Posts” tab above. Look for more videos as well as more podcasts coming soon to Confidence And Joy!

Follow Me On Twitter!