This time of year brings out many emotions in sports fans everywhere – especially baseball fans.  You see, we are right in the middle of league playoffs, with the teams fighting for a spot in the World Series.  Excitement in the air.  Every team has loyal fans who have watched many games, and who will support their team – win or lose.  Then, every team also has fair weathered fans who only care about their team if they’re winning.  Let me just say that this drives me crazy.  It irritates me to no end.  I suppose the reason is because I’m a loyal fan.  My team is arguably one of the best teams in baseball, but I’ll make no bones about it – they (in recent years) hold a great regular season.  They play great ball.  However, come post season, they seem to crumble.  However, I live in the middle of a rival teams territory and have first hand experience watching their fans in action.  I will say this – I haven’t seen more fair weathered fans congregated in one metro area before.  Time and time again, they will turn off their tv and proclaim how horrible this team is, etc when the team begins to lose…but when the winning streak hits, they rise up and are the worlds best fans.  Their team is the best in the world, and the feelings of any other team fans are pretty much trampled on.  I know it has to be like that in any city.  But, being that I live in this metro area, I can speak of what I know and/or have personally seen.

This is on my heart in a big way because it rings true with the body of Christ as well.  I’d like to use the previous baseball fan analogy to liken it to followers of Christ.  Do you find yourself to be a loyal follower of Christ, or are you more like a fair weathered fan?

Just as in baseball, Jesus has both.  Loyal followers of Christ look to Him during the good times, and the bad times alike.  They do not run for the wind at the first glimpse of hardships.  They take His word to the world, no matter the level of persecution.  They don’t want to see any other person not a follower of Christ.  They allow their hearts to be broken for others.  They love as Jesus loves.  Then you have fair weathered followers.  They are quick to proclaim themselves a Christian and quick to pray when things aren’t going well in the world.  They do not, however, remember Him when they don’t need something.  They follow Christ when it’s convenient, but not when it ruffles feathers.  They fear what others think, and aren’t concerned with the heart of God.

As annoying and irritating as fair weathered fans are to me personally, the same must be heartbreaking to Jesus.  The beautiful thing is that every human being is given free will.  God will not force anyone to follow Him, but He delights in those who do.  He loves us with an unwavering, relentless, crazy love.  Nothing any of us can do will or can ever make Him stop loving us.  Even still, so many people do not grab hold of that love.  They cling to whatever is familiar – jobs, family, things – however, if they were familiar with Jesus, they would cling to Him.

What kind of fan / follower are you??