Today marks an important day in America. Nearly everyone is aware that today is “Super Bowl Sunday.” The San Francisco 49ers will face the Kansas City Chiefs for the Lombardi trophy in Miami, Florida. “Super Bowl Sunday” is now considered by some to be a de facto national holiday. It is the second-largest day for U.S. food consumption (after Thanksgiving), and the game is the most-watched American television broadcast each year. Due to the high viewership, advertisers are willing to pay an average of $5 million for a 30-second commercial!

Our culture certainly takes this game seriously. But as we take a step back and look at the big picture of life, how significant is the Super Bowl? Consider a few things that God says are more important than the Super Bowl:

  • Jesus is more important than the Super Bowl. Jesus is the Son of God (John 3:16). He has authority over man’s greatest fear – death (Revelation 1:17-18) He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 17:14). The sacrifice He made on the cross makes it possible for every person to go to heaven!
  • Worshipping God is more important than the Super Bowl. Since God is awesome and perfectly holy, He is worthy to be praised (Psalm 96:4; 145:3). Unfortunately, there were probably many people who will forsake an opportunity to worship God on the first day of the week because they want the catch the start of the Super Bowl.
  • The Bible is more important that Super Bowl. The Bible is the only book in the world to come from the very mind of God (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21). Through the Bible, we learn the complete will of God for our lives (2 Timothy 3:17). It is a shame that some people can tell us who won the last ten Super Bowls, but they can’t tell us the names of 10 books in the Bible or the names of 10 Bible characters.
  • Teaching the Bible to the lost is more important than the Super Bowl. Jesus has given us the mission of going into the world and teaching the gospel so that people can have an opportunity to become His disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). When we are excited about the gospel, we will naturally be inclined to teach it to others. Christians who are more prepared to talk sports with the lost than the gospel have lost focus on what matters most in life.
  • Eternity is more important than the Super Bowl. When people stand before Jesus on Judgment Day, He is not going to care about who won the Super Bowl. Society may put men like Patrick Mahomes and Joey Bosa on a petal stool because of their great athletic ability. But in the eyes of Jesus, they are just fallible and sinful men who have souls and need the gift of salvation that He offers to all (Romans 6:23). Watching the big game may bring us some satisfaction in this life, but that satisfaction is limited and fleeting. It doesn’t begin to compare to the peace that comes with being right with God and preparing to be in eternity with Him (Philippians 1:21)

Let’s be clear: it is NOT a sin to watch the Super Bowl. But in the big scheme of life, its significance is minimal. Its seriousness is the size of a grain of salt. It is just a game that has no bearing on where we will be in eternity. Let us always strive to make spiritual things our primary focus in life (Matthew 6:33).