I am sick of it. I am tired of it. I am sick and tired of it! Each day that I get to go home for lunch I look forward to turning on ESPN and relaxing while I eat my lunch. This has been taken away from me the past two weeks. For those who might be living under a rock, and are not sure what I am referring to, let me explain it BRIEFLY.

There have been several high profile NFL players who have been charged with domestic violence in various forms. There have been several MLB players that have tested positive for steroids (shocker) and there are a handful of college football players that have had personal conduct issues off the field. The media has sure taken these stories and run with them. Running with them to the point that there is a NFL game on television tonight, and if it wasn’t for my TV guide I wouldn’t even know who was scheduled to play.

I am not writing this post to discuss the troubles that these players find themselves in. I am also not writing this post to talk about the amount of coverage they have been receiving. I am writing this post to address one thing that has been uttered over and over from various media outlets that really just makes my blood pressure rise.

What is it exactly? Well, I have heard several variations of this statement. In general, it goes something like this, “(Insert players name here) is going through a rough time right now. This is just one of those trials and tribulations that we all have to go through. It will make them stronger in the end.”

I would like to start by saying that I believe it is possible for us to learn from mistakes, and to grow beyond them. With that being said…

I fear we have an ever growing problem within our culture today. This problem may even be in the church. I hate that when someone makes a terrible selfish decision, they are no longer “wrong” or “selfish” or “criminal”. They have moved to the category of “Going through a tribulation.”

Might I suggest we make it clear to our children (as well as ourselves) that when we sin, we are at fault. When we sin, we deserve punishment. When we sin, we do not deserve pity or sympathy. I type these words as a man who is a sinner, in need of the grace of God. I am eternally grateful for His grace, love, and forgiveness. I need it. At some point however, we must realize that society owes us nothing. God owes us nothing. Let’s lead our children by showing them how to take responsibility for our actions.

1 Corinthians 16:13- “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”