We Serve A Jealous God

It has been a nonstop media frenzy since Tiger Woods crashed his vehicle on his property around Thanksgiving. Initially, people seemed to be relieved that he had not been hurt physically and then, as quick as a flash....the media and long time fans turned on him. Women started coming out of the woodwork claiming that they had slept with him or maintained a relationship with him for months or longer. There were voicemail messages sent by Tiger to a woman that we were subjected to on all the different news channels. Now, he had a short news conference last week where he publically apologized for his actions, as his devoted mother sat in front of him with her eyes cast downward.

I am by no means a Tiger Woods fan or even a golfing fan. I find the game tremendously boring. But, Tiger has amassed millions of fans around the world, not to mention a fortune that probably his great grandchildren will never be able to spend. All of that is worth nothing if there is not an inner peace and I can almost bet the farm on the fact that Tiger is not at peace right now.

Parents all over the world are weighing in on the fact that Tiger was a role model for their children and he has let them down. As a parent myself, I strongly disagree. I have a six year old daughter. Her daddy loves to golf as does her big brother, but I can guarentee you that she has NO idea who this Tiger Woods fellow is. As children get older, they will watch tv and they will get to know celebrities and make up their own minds who they like or dislike. When they are as young as my daughter, they are going to pick up on what Mom and Dad are saying. Dads out there, if you love the game of golf and play frequently, odds are, your son is going to want to be with you and play. In other words, they are going to HEAR YOU cheer when you watch tv and Tiger (or anyone else) is in a tournament and he makes a great shot. How many of your young children will take a Saturday or a Sunday afternoon and devote it to watching golf? Mine sure wouldn't!

Tiger was extremely young when he started playing golf. Was he three or a little older? Who decided that he would play golf that young? Did he? Not likely! Fast forward to now...we have a man that has made some really bad choices and he is front page news. Because he started playing golf when he was young and lost a huge chunk of childhood doesn't qualify him for a "get out of jail" free card. He made mistakes. Put aside if you will, the fact that he is the best golfer or that he is known all over the world. With all of his accomplishments, he must be in a lot of emotional pain right now. This man has a wife and children that are hurting, not to mention his wife's family and their friends. Yet through it all, we keep hearing how Tiger let his fans down.

Tiger has let himself, his wife and children down. He owes THEM an apology. He also has every right to do this in privacy as we all would. If you are married, think of the last really intense arguement that you had with your spouse...would you like it to be televised or fodder for every gossip column known to mankind? I sure wouldn't.

My own opinion as to why all of this has surfaced after such a long time hidden is simple. Tiger rose to idol status. People all over idolized him and built him up so high, not only to themselves, but they brought their kids in on the adoration too. God wants us to love Him like that. If you are going to adore someone that will never let you down...it cannot be mere humans on earth. Yes, Tiger is a great golfer, but he is also just a man. He is going to make mistakes, just like those of us not in the spotlight.

"You shall not make for yourself an IDOL in the form of ANYTHING in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a JEALOUS God..." (emphasis mine)

Yes, Tiger Woods is a great golfer. But he has not now nor will he ever reach the status of the one and only true God....the One that never disappoints us or lets us down. Perhaps a lot of parents are really angry and upset over Tiger because THEY had put Tiger on a pedestal and built him up to their own children and when he fell...instead of accepting that they had been adoring a flawed individual for so long, it is just easier to blame Tiger!

My prayer is that Tiger and his beautiful wife can work things out by themselves. I do not know Tiger Woods. Never met him. I am not a fan...but I am a big fan of family. I do not feel he owes me an apology! In his press conference Woods stated "Elin (his wife)pointed out to me, my real apology to her will not come in the form of words; it will come from my behavior over time."

Parents, we must be ever more diligent picking the people that we admire here on earth. Our children are watching us. If we teach them from the very beginning of their lives that they are to love God with all of their heart and soul and mind...and HE is the only person that will never let us down...then just maybe our kids will not be as hurt when a celebrity falls off of his/her pedestal that we put them on!