Andy Dalton and I Peter 5

Last night was another bad bowl game, at least for the 2nd half, with Virginia Tech eventually getting blown out by a very good Stanford team. I had anticipated a closer match-up, and so was quite disappointed. But the opposite happened in the Rose Bowl this year with "little" (they actually were quite smaller and had to use strategy more than power to bring down the bruising Wisconsin tailbacks) TCU defeating Wisconsin. 

While TCU was ranked number 3, they were still in many eyes, the underdog. They played in the "nazareth" of football conferences. Yet this sideline reporter noticed that the team as a whole continued to remain humble throughout the week. They didn't self promote. They didn't take any media "bait" to defend themselves. 

Here QB Andy Dalton talks about his motivation for humility: that God will lift you up "at the proper time." A quick look at I Peter 5:6 couches this verse in the older/younger relational dynamics in the church. While athletes need to be careful not to isogete (read their situation "into the passage" they still need to take what's there and apply it to their sporting venues. Most Christians do this everyday to their situations; they're just not interviewed about how they apply such verses.

And this QB is probably fully aware of the original context. What I think Dalton is doing is applying the general principle of humility: letting God exalt you at the right time. Should we not humble ourselves outside the church as well? And there is nothing about this exaltation in I Peter 5 that would lead one to conclude that God only exalts us when we get to heaven. He lifts people up all the time, and sometimes for only a season (probably Dalton will not go far in the NFL). 

I do confess that I sometimes cringe when Christian athletes get in front of the camera because they often forget that there are Christians on the losing side as well. And I think the most beautiful display of fellowship is when winners/losers pray together after the game. 

But 9 times out of 10, I think they simply want to give God glory for lifting them up in victory. And I think ultimately what our brother Dalton is doing in this interview is simply following I Cor 10:31:  "....whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

So thanks Andy for the reminder to humble ourselves before one another and let God pick the times to exalt us. Check out this brief interview below.