Tracing the Gift Back to the Giver

I am so proud of all of our teams and the character that they have displayed on the practice and game fields and courts, but I would especially like to commend our Varsity Girls Soccer team for their 5-3 win against New Haven Monday evening. These girls have faced much adversity over the past several seasons, but they have worked hard and persevered, and God blessed them with a nice win for their efforts. Way to go, Lady Panthers Soccer!

The second provision of our Biblical Worldview of Athletics reads: “God gave us sports, and the health, talent, and ability to enjoy them, so that we would use them to serve and glorify Him. (1 Cor. 10:31) When we trace the gift back to the Giver, the wonder, power, excitement, excellence, thrill, joy, etc., of participating in and watching sports can lead us to worship God.”

We live in a culture that tends to worship athletes. When we see someone like LeBron James jump from near the foul line, soar through the air for what seems like a mile, and then slam the ball through the rim, our natural tendency is to be drawn into worship of LeBron and his talent. But when we understand who God is and that He has blessed some of us with incredible amounts of raw athletic talent in order to put His power and majesty on display, everything changes. Instead of worshiping LeBron, we worship the Creator who created LeBron. Instead of seeing the power of the dunk as “awesome,” we stand in awe of the all-powerful One who gave LeBron his strength and agility.

Parents, would you look for opportunities this fall to trace the gift of sports back to the Giver? I’m not talking about getting down on your knees and praying every time our Panthers score a goal or point. I’m talking about praising God in the quietness of your mind and thanking Him when you see your child perform well on the field or court. I’m talking about reminding your child to thank God for the talent and opportunity to play sports, and reminding him or her to play for God’s glory rather than her own. The reminders will help to build a biblical worldview of sports in your family.

646 Comments

You must be logged in to post a comment Login