100 to 0 was the Score But Who Wins

That's correct. 100-0 was the score of a girl's high school basketball game in Texas as Covenant trounced Dallas Academy. WOW! In 1916, Georgia Tech's football team won 222-0 against Cumberland College, but that was an attempt by Cumberland to keep from having to pay $3000 for not showing (a lot of money back then).

Blow-outs are not unheard of. The Georgia Tech example may have been a way for GA Tech to get back at Cumberland College for beating their baseball team 22-0 (who were rumored to have used pro-players). The funny part is that Cumberland had stopped football the previous year. They had put together 14 men to keep the school from losing the money. Truly one of John Heisman's finest victories?

I bring this up because the Covenant team is now asking for a forfeit for winning. Let that sink in.......

Yes, they want to forfeit. Here are two statements from their website:

"It is shameful and an embarrassment that this happened. This clearly does not reflect a Christ-like and honorable approach to competition."

"Accordingly, The Covenant School has contacted TAPPS and is submitting a formal request to forfeit the game recognizing that a victory without honor is a great loss."

Victory without honor? Shameful and embarrassed? Doesn't reflect a Christ-like and honorable approach to competition?

I agree. Don't get me wrong. I am not one of those people that goes around saying we need to stop being competitive and such things. I like victories and love it when the team I am cheering for wins big, but not when the starters stay on the floor the entire game and continue to shoot 3-pointers up until the final seconds of the game as the Covenant girls' program did.

The huge victory was a loss for the girl's of Covenant because in victory they lost sight of honoring God. A better scenario after gaining a large lead is to put reserve players on the floor and running the clock on each possession. That apparently did not happen.

I am not excusing Tech's behavior either. Money drove them to pride.

I salute the staff and board of Covenant for placing Christ higher than dishonorable victories. Psalm 19 is a prayer that says:

Keep me from deliberate sins! Don't let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart by pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

The girls of Covenant were caught up in the moment. They looked to win by the greatest margin of their lives. Yet no one took time to check their heart.

I find that climbing on the bandwagon is easy to do, especially when other Christians are on board. Therefore, our hearts need to be continually checked. The best way to get a heart check-up is to pray as the psalmist did. He said, "Keep me..." He poured his whole heart into one motive - pleasing God. Our lives are to be pleasing to God, and when they are, we walk in honor and present a sweet aroma of worship to God.

We each need to check our hearts so we also will compete honorably before God in everything we do. Use Psalm 19 as a prayer because victory without honor is truly a great loss. Don't lose out!

...whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17 (NKJV)