For as long as I can remember I've been an athlete. I have been playing soccer for 9 out of my 14 years on earth. It's been a major part of my life for what seems like forever. It's the on place where I can be myself. It's the one of the things I'm good at.
Playing soccer became instinct. Blood, sweat, and tears were no strangers. Hard work, will, and dedication were always in the vocabulary. Injuries were not uncommon. I cannot think of one time I did enjoy the game even a little bit. It was something I loved doing and it soon became one of my main priorities. And that's where I went wrong.
I was willing to sacrifice time and energy, get hurt, work hard, and train for soccer but not anything else. I made soccer a higher priority than my relationship with my family, God, my friends, and school. Subconsciously I was willing to sacrifice more for a sport than anything else. Honestly I didn't care about school that much. I was only focused on one thing: soccer. Even after I got saved I spent more time with my ball than my Bible, more time on the field than in church and that is not something I'm proud of.
I had my priorities all mixed up. I set my priorities by my standards instead of God's. I failed to see that God and soccer go hand in hand. They're not separate. You see, being an athlete takes hard work and dedication. You have to want it more than anything else. You have to be willing to lose. You have to be strong and tough even when you're tired and/or hurt. The same thing is true for a Christian. We're athletes in training to win the best prize of all. But it's not comin' easy. Just like I said before, a true athlete must be willing to go through those things. You have to work hard to earn your spot on the field. Don't think that just because you're on the team that you're fine. Do you wanna just sit on the bench and not help your team out? You have to want that spot and you have to earn it. This isn't little league anymore. Not everybody gets a chance to play. And just because you work hard doesn't mean you're always gonna win. But no matter what you praise God because we are commanded to. It's not always going to be easy but the prize you will receive is greater than anything you will have to go through. You will be rewarded for your faithfulness.
One key thing that all true athletes have is heart. Every ahtlete knows that without heart you're not gonna get anywhere. Talent is nothing without heart. If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times: "I'd rather have someone 100% heart and 0% talent than someone with 100% talent and 0% heart."
As Christians we need to start training to win that prize. We need to stop treating religion like its in it own separate category because its not. Just like I did with soccer we need to have Christ be our main priority and everything else will fall into place. We have to learn to get our priorities straight. I realized that there is way more to life than sports. I am going to put my main focus on what truly matters which is living for Christ.
I'm not saying all this to say that sports are bad. I will continue to play soccer and love every second of it but now in a new perspective. My life does not revolve around soccer anymore... it revolves around Christ.
When I play I need to make sure I'm playing for the right reasons. I need to live in a way that glorifies God and if I can do that on the field then there is reason why I shouldn't but if I can't I have no business being out there. God doesn't tell us to honor HIm when we feel like it or when it's convenient. We are commanded to honor God is all things all the time.
We have to constantly remember that we should not be playing to impress people but to honor God. I promise you no matter how hard it gets the reward will be that much greater and with God on your side all things are possible.
Never think for a second that God doesn't care about sports or school because He does because He cares about you. But He cares mainly about you your heart. And that's where you need to start. A life full of Christ a heart full of joy and a mind full of Christ.
Matthew 19:26
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Romans 5:3-5
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