Playing God Is Serious Business: Know When To Say When

Many of us like to take risks in life, push our luck. Often we may not realize how daring we are being. Please believe, there is a difference between being bold and being a buffoon.

Basically, you don't want to put your life in danger or shorten your life span. We do have free will and a set destiny, including our eventual death date. Nevertheless, why make life harder on ourselves?

Professional athletes may be some of the worst offenders. Take Kobe Bryant for example. He has had several surgeries on various parts of his body, the last two have been season ending on his knee. He has hardly been a factor in the NBA as of late. He already has five championships, several records, Olympic gold medals, and millions of dollars, not to mention a loving wife and two lovely daughters. Kobe should seriously not play God and think seriously about retiring.

Peyton Manning was at a similar crossroads three years ago. He could have been paralyzed. He did his due diligence, rehabbed hard and sought every professional opinion before coming back. He's still planning on playing at age 39 since he continues to pass routine physicals and stay healthy. Patrick Willis announced his retirement today. He decided for himself and his family that testing God and his own athletic prowess wasn't an option.

I have been faced with this several times in my life. I do lead a very healthy lifestyle but I still take risks. A year ago, I entered an eating contest where I ate a giant burger in under 30 minutes. This was a one time thing and I was full for days. I also run and have a half marathon around the corner. I was reminded today about running too close to the road and the sidewalk. My running style has allowed me to avoid injury and accidents over the years. But it still got me to thinking. I want to stay as safe as possible. The only routes I currently run on are those with back roads and little traffic or running trails with at least a sidewalk. Since I am doing more outside running now, these safety measures will continue to improve.

So use good judgment in your life and don't think the Good Lord is automatically going to bail you out because you make a foolish choice. Trust Him, trust yourself and use good reasoning and common sense.

What are some ways that you have tested and played God? Do you think that even when you make poor decisions, God always protects you?