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Fantasy football is just the opposite. It offers autonomous decision-making without real consequences. If I make a bad pick, no one loses their job. When I trade a player, I don't have to consider how the move will affect his wife and kids. I can, in short, do whatever I want and nothing at all will come of it.

Yet complete control remains an illusion, even in fantasy sports. I may decide to draft Larry Johnson with my first pick this year (as I most certainly will if I get a chance), but I can't keep him from getting injured in training camp. I may put together a near-perfect team, but I can't stop another owner from assembling an even-better team. Even in fantasy, we find ourselves constrained.

So here's my advice. If you haven't played fantasy football, by all means, join a league. If you're disappointed with the way God seems to run your life sometimes, re-read Joseph's story in the last 13 chapters of Genesis. And if you're thinking about fantasy drafting a quarterback in the first round, don't. The first two rounds should be all running backs, all the time.

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Earlier Play Ball columns include:

Equal Pay for Women? | The stubborn Brits who run Wimbledon refuse to pay the female tennis players as much as the men. Good for them. (July 13, 2006)

What's to Love About Women's Sports | There's no denying the pure joy and determination of female athletes. (June 29, 2006)

The NBA? Or the UN? | It's called the National Basketball Association, but it's looking quite international—thanks in great part to a Christian GM for the Dallas Mavs. (June 22, 2006)

Onward Christian Shortstops | The Colorado Rockies make a noble—if problematic—plan for winning. (June 1, 2006)

Incomplete Sentences | Many pro athletes convicted of a crime are sentenced to a lame excuse for "community service." It's time for the legal system to show a little backbone. (May 11, 2006)

Bowling Alone No More | A stealth revolution in attitude may be brewing. (May 4, 2006)

Sports as Soap Opera | Sportswriters seem to have forgotten their godly calling. By Mark Galli (April 27,2006)

'You Trying to Say Jesus Christ Can't Hit a Curveball?' | Fans vent their frustration on struggling slugger who professes religious devotion. By Collin Hansen (Apr., 20, 2006)

Un Problema Grande, No? | What major league baseball reveals about the dangers of immigration. By Mark Galli (Apr. 13, 2006)

WWJWD? | In the wake of UCLA's loss in Monday's NCAA championship game, I couldn't help but wonder: What would John Wooden do? By Mark Moring (April 6, 2006)

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July (Web-only) 2006, Vol. 50