RULE #8 - BE LIKE DREW BREES...KIND OF!

He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki..... - Luke 3:23-24

READ LUKE 3:21-48 TODAY

     I saw an interview with Drew Brees the other day.  They were asking him why he thought it was important to include his name on the lawsuit against the NFL owners in their labor dispute.  He talked about realizing that players before him had fought so that he could have what he does.  And players in the future will be affected by what he does.  So, just as players long ago paved the way so he could have this awesome life, he wanted to help the players that would come in the future.

     He gets it!  There have been many generations of football players before Drew Brees, and there will be many generations after him.  And what each generation does affects the generation after it. 

     It's a lot like us.  We have had family members for thousands of years pave the way for the life we have today.  We have had family members who will never have known us, but have dramatically shaped who we are.  And we will do the same for others.

     In Luke today, they include 76 generations of dads who led to Jesus.  I'm not smart enough to know why they include all those, but one of the reasons might just be to show the importance of realizing what generations of people have done for each of us. 

     To bring it back to how we treat people, I think we will be much more Jesus-like if we have a healthy respect for generations before us and a healthy vision to ask, "How can we positively affect the generations after us."  A lot of people would look at that financially or materialistically, but what if each day was spent in appreciation of what our forefathers have done for us spiritually, mentally and psychologically - and then we set up our future generations the same way?

      Now, in the title, I said, "Be Like Drew Brees - Kind Of!"  As much as I loved his answer to why is was important for him to include his name on the lawsuit, I questioned this one.  They asked how he justified players arguing with owners when they're already making ten million dollars a year.  He said, "It was just the right thing to do."  No, the right thing to do would be to give money back to the fans by taking that money and lowering ticket prices or making parking more affordable or lowering concessions.  The right thing to do is being satisfied with a just wage.  The right thing to do is to be content.  But, hey, he was one for two.