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Life Is Not a Game

"Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him."¹

Again today I want to quote Michael Josephson of Character Counts. Speaking about athletes he said the following:

"I was leading a discussion with former elite athletes when someone asked about the ethics of trying to intimidate or injure an opponent. 'Football's a physical game,' said a former NFL star, who went on to extol the advantages of intimidation through the infliction of pain. A former Super-Bowler spoke without remorse about 'taking players out' with a particularly dangerous but then legal ‘chop block’ aimed at the knees.

"When an Olympic track athlete said that, legal or not, it is wrong to be intentional or callous about inflicting possible career-ending injuries, he was ridiculed. 'It's part of the game,' was the response, and a room full of men continued to rationalize brutality.

"Another former football player brought the room to silence. A huge man, he barked, 'Hold on,' and held his hand up high. In it was a prosthetic leg. He said his leg was amputated from the knee down due to a chop block. ‘Was it worth it?’ he asked.

"Applying 'game theory,' athletes not only injure others but permanently damage their own health pumping up with illegal drugs, politicians breed cynicism and distrust with lies and insincerity, and numbers-manipulating executives disgrace themselves and demolish the jobs and retirement accounts of thousands.

"Declaring a tactic 'part of the game' may delude the conscience, but it doesn't justify vicious, disrespectful or dishonorable conduct—no matter how many people are doing it. Life is not a game.”²

Thank you, Michael, I couldn't have said it better. Character does count if we want to leave a better world for our children and our children's children. Plus, we always reap what we sow—always—even if it is eventually!

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to always remember that character counts. And please deliver me from the temptation to take any shortcuts that would hurt anybody else in order for any kind of selfish, self-centered, self-gain. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Proverbs 26:27 (NKJV).
2. This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts. www.charactercounts.org.

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