Moves Like Abraham

On a warm summer day there is nothing better than being at a ball diamond watching my son play baseball. Our family enjoys the camaraderie and the fun of being at the park. We love being with the team and the families. My wife and I delight in watching our son play the game he loves. The life lessons for him are many.

I am beginning to learn that the life lessons for me are even more plentiful.

The thing that I am currently beginning to realize is that my son is an idol in my life. My desire for him to be a better man than I am, to be a better father, husband, and athlete (he's got the last one in the bag).

Yesterday during his baseball game he missed a grounder. My heart sank, I felt anger, frustration, and angst rising in me. It was a moment where the world then stopped and things began to crystallize and become clear.

Something was wrong, with me.


My son is ten.  He's an excellent baseball player. He loves to play. I love watching him play. But, if I can't learn to take joy in the gift of the game and his love of the game then it will be gone.

Last night as I was pondering some of this, the story of Abraham and Isaac popped in my mind.

1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I."2 He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.5 Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boyt will go over there and worship and come again to you."6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together.7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"8 Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together.

9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I."12 He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.14 So Abraham called the name of that place, "The Lord will provide";tas it is said to this day, "On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided."t

What strikes me is the fact that God points out to Abraham the subtle idolatry he has in his heart in reference to his son. Last night, I realized that I have the same. My guess is that most dads do too. God tested Abraham by telling him to offer his son on the altar.

I don't want to experience that test.

It is in these moments that I am grateful for grace, mercy, and the indwelling of God the Spirit. I confess that my son is an idol. I am thankful for the forgiveness wrought for me at Calvary.

Now, it's time to move forward in that forgiveness as a Dad who will celebrate his son but not subtly worship him.

Another wing of the idol factory in my heart is hereby and officially closed.