TO ALL SOCCER FANS Who deserves a fan club more than our Lord Jesus Christ? Adelene Ong
03 Aug
I started watching soccer during the World Cup in 2006. I faithfully watched almost every match that was on television during that period of time. These matches were aired in the wee hours, so every morning I would fall asleep in the MRT on the way to school, because of the lack of sleep. It should have been a torture to force myself to stay awake to finish watching a midnight match, but instead I enjoyed watching those matches so much that I would willingly sacrifice my sleep for them.
After the World Cup, I continued to watch soccer religiously. As most of the matches are on weekends, I don’t get enough rest for church especially when I’m serving. Thinking back, I probably wasn’t serving the Lord with all my heart either. I would think of certain matches that I missed because a service ended too late etc.
In 2008, I started to come to CKRM regularly. Among many things that the Lord dealt with me, I knew one thing I had to do is to deal with my addiction to watching soccer, because I would feel tired when I go to church after watching a midnight match and sleeping for a few hours only. And when I was willing to let go, the Lord just took away the desire to watch soccer gradually. Human’s willpower is overstated. I couldn’t have done this on my own. The Lord took away the desire but only when I was willing to let go.
Even though I was not addicted to watching soccer anymore, I still read sports news time to time, specifically to be updated with the happenings of my favourite soccer player. Recently, his football club came to Singapore, and that was when I realised I had to deal with this idol of my heart. Honestly, if I did not have much to care about, I would have acted like a fool (known to others as an ‘adoring fan’, but to God; just a fool), following the team everywhere just to get a glimpse of them or a photo. But even though I knew I wouldn’t do this; I still felt disappointed about not seeing my favourite player especially when he is so close!
I was going to serve in the worship team on Sunday, which is the last day the football club would be in Singapore; but on Saturday I was still feeling disappointed. Even though I kept asking the Lord to help me remove this idol from my heart, it didn’t happen because I wasn’t really willing to let go. I did not know what to do so I went to read the bible and the Lord showed me 1 Samuel 12:21, the NKJV version:
“And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing.” 1 Samuel 12:21 NKJV
I knew that He was speaking to me because the preceding verse is “…do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.” I was supposed to be getting ready to serve the next day, yet I was still bothered with such ridiculous disappointment the day before. It was obvious that God was not the Only One in my heart. I had not given Him ALL my heart. I started to really see that indeed I have rented a big place in my heart to “empty things”. Then I went to check the NIV version of the same verse:
“Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless.” 1 Samuel 12:21 NIV
So “empty things” = “useless idols”. I was really glad that the Lord showed me the NKJV version first, because if I saw the NIV one first, I probably wouldn’t bother much about it as I wouldn’t have associated idolatry with the problem I was struggling with.
The next Sunday, during fire stream ministry, the first item we dealt with was ‘idolatry’. The Lord’s timing is always good. I knew what idols in the heart meant and I could readily pinpoint the area to deal with in my life. Truly, anything that takes away a percentage of our hearts from following God is an idol in our lives; it can be a hobby, family, friends, career, and celebrities; anything we deem above God.
Thank you Lord for your mercy and discipline! I’m free!
03-08-2009
Adelene Ong
03 Aug
I started watching soccer during the World Cup in 2006. I faithfully watched almost every match that was on television during that period of time. These matches were aired in the wee hours, so every morning I would fall asleep in the MRT on the way to school, because of the lack of sleep. It should have been a torture to force myself to stay awake to finish watching a midnight match, but instead I enjoyed watching those matches so much that I would willingly sacrifice my sleep for them.
After the World Cup, I continued to watch soccer religiously. As most of the matches are on weekends, I don’t get enough rest for church especially when I’m serving. Thinking back, I probably wasn’t serving the Lord with all my heart either. I would think of certain matches that I missed because a service ended too late etc.
In 2008, I started to come to CKRM regularly. Among many things that the Lord dealt with me, I knew one thing I had to do is to deal with my addiction to watching soccer, because I would feel tired when I go to church after watching a midnight match and sleeping for a few hours only. And when I was willing to let go, the Lord just took away the desire to watch soccer gradually. Human’s willpower is overstated. I couldn’t have done this on my own. The Lord took away the desire but only when I was willing to let go.
Even though I was not addicted to watching soccer anymore, I still read sports news time to time, specifically to be updated with the happenings of my favourite soccer player. Recently, his football club came to Singapore, and that was when I realised I had to deal with this idol of my heart. Honestly, if I did not have much to care about, I would have acted like a fool (known to others as an ‘adoring fan’, but to God; just a fool), following the team everywhere just to get a glimpse of them or a photo. But even though I knew I wouldn’t do this; I still felt disappointed about not seeing my favourite player especially when he is so close!
I was going to serve in the worship team on Sunday, which is the last day the football club would be in Singapore; but on Saturday I was still feeling disappointed. Even though I kept asking the Lord to help me remove this idol from my heart, it didn’t happen because I wasn’t really willing to let go. I did not know what to do so I went to read the bible and the Lord showed me 1 Samuel 12:21, the NKJV version:
“And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing.” 1 Samuel 12:21 NKJV
I knew that He was speaking to me because the preceding verse is “…do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.” I was supposed to be getting ready to serve the next day, yet I was still bothered with such ridiculous disappointment the day before. It was obvious that God was not the Only One in my heart. I had not given Him ALL my heart. I started to really see that indeed I have rented a big place in my heart to “empty things”. Then I went to check the NIV version of the same verse:
“Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless.” 1 Samuel 12:21 NIV
So “empty things” = “useless idols”. I was really glad that the Lord showed me the NKJV version first, because if I saw the NIV one first, I probably wouldn’t bother much about it as I wouldn’t have associated idolatry with the problem I was struggling with.
The next Sunday, during fire stream ministry, the first item we dealt with was ‘idolatry’. The Lord’s timing is always good. I knew what idols in the heart meant and I could readily pinpoint the area to deal with in my life. Truly, anything that takes away a percentage of our hearts from following God is an idol in our lives; it can be a hobby, family, friends, career, and celebrities; anything we deem above God.
Thank you Lord for your mercy and discipline! I’m free!
03-08-2009
Adelene Ong
