Everyone does what is right in his own eyes

I love this brief clip of Milton Friedman on the Phil Donahue Show back in 1979. It reminds me of Deuteronomy 12:8 and so many other verses concerning how we are motivated by our self interest.

To me all of the non-capitalistic systems used in the world don't understand the human heart and try to create heaven on earth so-to-speak. Truly only Jesus changing a man's heart can do that. For utopia on earth to exist every man, woman, and child would need to have a changed heart. Even scripture reveals that not everyone will choose Jesus. Scripture and my experience reveal that only Jesus can change one's heart. Capitalism works because it recognizes our human condition and that is that in order for an individual to get what he wants he must provide to others what they want.

Adam Smith said in his book the "Wealth of Nations" that it is not for your benevolence that the butcher, the baker, the brewer prepares your meal, but from regard to their own interest."

Matt Midfielder Indiana Soccer Team

This is the first in a series of articles, stories, and accounts that I am writing about events in each of our children’s lives. This first story focuses on Matthew Robert Brown and how he became a starter on the Varsity Soccer team. He is age 17 at this writing and is entering his final year of high school at Indiana Senior Area High School. The picture at left was taken of Matt at the start of his junior year.

Matt has been an Indiana High School soccer player since his freshman year. This year his team is ranked by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette eight in their conference. Last year (his junior year) he added varsity baseball to his resume (More on that in a later post). Before that he played Peewee Football during his 5th and 6th grade school years followed by Junior High football (7th and 8th grades). Matt began his athletic career when he played on a traveling Soccer team in his 2nd through 4th grade years.


Soccer and Peewee football overlapped each other. I really didn’t want Matt or for that matter Josh when he was in grade school to play football during their grade school years. Though Matt really wanted to play football and with the persuasion of others (Peewee Football coaches) I relented. Hence he switched in 5th grade to football. Both Sue and I felt that it was too much for Matt to do both sports at the same time. Therefore he dropped Soccer. He was already involved in other sports during their respective seasons (i.e. basketball and baseball). Sue was concerned that we were letting Matt’s sports life rule our family. In retrospect its obvious she was right, but somehow it worked out OK. And we have wonderful memories of watching a pint sized kid work hard and have fun.


Matt loved playing football and did well enough to start all four years that he played. In his first year of Peewee he was the starting QB (he had the strongest arm on the team) and played just about every place on defense because he could and made an impact. Matt was a bit small compared to most of the other kids his age. He dominated anyway. He was among the fastest, he was aggressive, advanced in athleticism for the age of 11, and was able to comprehend the complexities of what needed to be done. In sixth grade, Matt became a full time running back and corner back on defense that played more like a line backer. He had an excellent coach who taught him the mechanics of footwork for a running back. Again he excelled. A number of his teammates started to physically grow at this point and the athleticism gap with Matt began to close. Matt, it appears by God’s design was small like his father at that age and slow to grow.

Entering his Seventh Grade year, it seemed that every one grew again and Matt didn’t. He again played a lot of running back and was effective but no longer started on offense. He was a starting corner back on defense though and the coaches said they loved his aggressiveness and ability. But Matt started to face some rather large receivers and big running backs compared to him. To his credit he never backed down and more than held his own. The Seventh grade team went undefeated. In Eighth grade, once again Matt’s friends and teammates grew while he himself grew very little. The Eighth grade team again had a great year. Matt became the starting safety and returned some punts. He was also one of the backup wide receivers because he had such great hands. I could through Matt a football as fast as I could and Matt would catch it even at less than 10 yards. One of his eighth grade coaches told another football player and classmate of Matt's recently, that if Matt had grown he may have been one of the best receivers that Indiana had seen in a while. The eighth grade football season was physically hard on Matt. Especially given that Matt refused to change his playing style. And that trying to be just as physical with larger kids as they were with him. He didn't miss any games, but Matt showed some wisdom at an early age. After the season he politely told me that if he didn't grow by Ninth grade he wasn't going to continue with football. I was a little sad because Matt had a lot of talent in that little body, but I respected his opinion and supported him.

Going into Matt's ninth grade year he again grew little, especially compared to his classmates. I knew he wasn't going to play football, but I was surprised when Matt decided to try out for the Soccer team. I guess I was surprised because we never talked about soccer, he hadn't played since fourth grade, and it was the day before camp began. I was a little concerned because I didn't want Matt to be disappointed if he didn't make the team. He was going up against a group of players that had been playing the whole time Matt was doing football. Though Matt was athletic he virtually had no soccer skills. The coach was known to cut players because he only kept enough for varsity and Jr. varsity. I know that when I was that age, I let my pride stop me from trying out for teams simply because I didn't want to be cut. I was impressed that Matt was prepared to try out and risk failure. Once again I was proud of Matt. Not because he might make the soccer team, but rather because he was willing to risk failure. He was prepared to be humbled where I would have never done that at his age. From my perspective Matt was not motivated to elevate himself but just wanted to play and have some fun. Well we know that God gives grace to the humble and in this case Matt made the junior varsity team. Initially he did not start JV as a freshmen but started to get more and more time as the season progressed.

By the time of his Junior year he finally started to grow. He began to press the seniors who were a head of him for varsity time. Though he didn't start he often played forty minutes or more a game. The 2008 team went undefeated against teams in their conference and beat some notable teams outside of their conference. In over a 20 game season his team only gave up nine goals the entire year. Indiana made the playoffs and Matt was one of only three players who didn't start but played and played a significant number of minutes at that. Matt of course "lettered" for the year.

Well Matt is entering his final year of soccer. He is the starting Mid-fielder on the right wing. Though the team does not count on Matt to score he is one of their better play makers. He has an excellent read of the field and excels at passing. I have no doubt that he will be one of Indiana's assist leaders by years end. Matt remains a respectful young man to his coaches and fellow teammates. We are proud that Matt does not have a big head. He plays hard, has confidence in the abilities that God has given him, and doesn't think more (or less) of himself than he should. Go Indians and go Matt!