I love God. I love paintball.

Obviously, the word "love" in these two statements doesn’t mean the same thing. God forbid they ever do! 1 John 2:15 commands us not to love the world or anything in it. For the Christian, this verse should challenge every part of their life.

So here I find myself loving this thing called paintball. There is no sport quite so engaging. The sounds, the action, the shifting strategies, calculated risks, triumphant victories, and humbling defeats. There really isn’t anything like it. The unending scenarios, gear choices, play styles, and field layouts make paintball so diverse that no game is ever the same.

There’s a problem though. As paintball continues to move from a casual recreation pastime to a mainstream competitive sport, it brings with it an increasing ungodliness that plagues many other mainstream and extreme sports. For the Christian, being a serious paintball player means your faith will be challenged.

Competitive paintball challenges Christians in many ways. Tournaments are almost always hosted on Sundays. You are constantly surrounded by non-believers with perverse language, flaring tempers, and superiority complexes. Players flaunt their gear, dress as intimidating as possible, and speak of total domination. And here we are, smack-dab in the middle of it.
It’s in those moments when I find myself asking what Jesus thinks about all this. How can I love a sport so much that surrounds me with so much perversity?

Oddly enough, it’s because of my love for God that allows me to enjoy paintball so much. I know, that sounds ridiculous. But this is what I mean… If my relationship with Christ was weak and I didn’t care so much about what He thinks of me and my actions, I’d be tempted to give into the sin that surrounds me and blend into the crowd. It would be much easier to simply participate in it than contend with it so much. But if I did that my love for paintball would be greater than my love for Christ.

Instead, I separate myself from it. 1 Peter 2:11 says, "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." Really, isn’t this what we face every day of our lives? We are constantly surrounded by sin, temptation, and lusts of the world. It is so easy to get caught up in the sin that parades around us so openly. Hebrews 12:1 says, "…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

Sure, I love paintball. But I love God more - much more. We are free to enjoy many of the pleasures this life has to offer – including the sport of paintball. But be careful not to let it become your god. Take your stand on the field of life. Hold your position. Remember the words of Paul as he gives this advice to Timothy, "No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer." (2 Timothy 2:4).