I have a confession to make: I am not a Dallas Cowboys fan. I know, I know — them there’s fightin’ words in this here town, but I have my reasons. I grew up admiring Earl Campbell, Warren Moon and the light blue oil derrick outlined in red that symbolized my Houston football team. The Oilers may not have been the strongest team in the NFL (and I knew even less about football then than I do nowadays), but they were my hometown team, and I rooted for them wholeheartedly.

My lil' brother's old Oilers sweatshirt that our awesome aunt made for him.

Consequently, I cannot – ever – cheer for the Tennessee Titans, because my loyalty is in Houston. Some of you may try to remind me that the Titans are technically the new Oilers, but I don’t buy it. They aren’t Houston’s team any longer; the Texans are.

The point is that when we associate ourselves with a group – be it a professional sports team, college alma mater, religious belief, etc. – we have a choice whether to be fair weather followers or commit for the long haul. And if we commit, it comes at a price. When we belong to a group, it can be difficult to remain faithful. Losing seasons come. Ok, multiple losing seasons come. People mock us. Sometimes, it seems like a better idea to just ditch the team and revoke your Fan Club membership.

(We’re not really talking about football anymore, are we? Don’t these same issues surface in our spiritual lives, as well?)

Jesus warned his disciples in John 15 that there would come times when they were not the “in” crowd. People would mock and persecute them. However, because he claims us as his own through faith, we can rest assured that no matter what the fair weather followers (and outright opponents) may think of us, we always have a place to belong. Don’t throw in the towel when your season of life looks like a lost cause. Keep the faith, because Christ is victorious!