a Greater Glory

When you think of an athlete desiring to be the best at his or her particular sport, what do you imagine them doing in order to get there?  A football player may spend countless hours in meetings and in the film room, disecting a particular 3-4 defense or Cover 2 defense.  An All-NBA defender may scout a top scorer for weeks, deciding where his weaknesses are on the court.  A pitcher may weigh the strike zone of the league’s best hitter – what is he prone to swing at to induce a double play?

All these practices have the same concept underlying each of them:  meditation.  In order to achieve their potential, each player must go above and beyond to unlock those areas of talent that are, until that point, hidden.  It’s working hard even when one feels like kicking back and watching Sportscenter.  Matt Birk, Baltimore Ravens center, explains the grind of studying through the notorious NFL playbook:

“This is my 10th year in the league, and I still take my playbook home. Because the defenses are always changing, too. They’re always giving different looks. It’s kind of like a cat-and-mouse game between the offense and defense. That’s why football, I think, is a great game. Very few guys can get by on just talent.”

And this guy went to Harvard!  He brings up an excellent point as well.  The end result is not just to be better in and of yourself, but to have an edge over the enemy, which in football is the opponent.  If Birk isn’t on his game, he is liable to get dominated by a defensive tackle on a stunt move.  He always needs to be aware of his schemes, lest he become vulnerable at the most important times.

I think about these athletes and how seriously they train to become the best in the game.  Shouldn’t we, as Christians, be striving for the same thing?  Paul instructs us in 1 Timothy 4:7-10:

“Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”

Just as in sports, Christianity requires training – reading God’s Word, praying without ceasing, filling our minds with pure thoughts.  Paul says that all this is not in vain.  We are to receive the prize of glory at the end of our struggle.  That is one end to which sports will not provide.  In sowing godliness in this present age, we will reap the privilege of seeing Jesus face to face one day.  And about enemies:  Paul asserts in Ephesians 6 that our war is not against the tangible things of this world – people or governments.  No, our war is against the principalities that stand in opposition to the Word of God.  The Bible talks about the devil prowling around like a lion, ready to devour.

Paul endlessly speaks on “standing firm” in the faith.  That’s our call.  And it comes through daily meditation on the good things of God.  One final note:  Unlike an athlete, we will never arrive, so to speak, in this life.  God has far greater plans for his sons and daughters.  He gives us this promise in 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24:

“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.”

A couple days ago, Sean posed the question, “Is our love of sport as humans a result of us wanting to find joy or satisfaction in a fallen and imperfect world?”  Needless to say, I didn’t have a response to answer such an intense question.  Honestly, I was ready for a question about Ochocinco’s new facial tattoos or whether the WNBA will cease to exist in 5 years.  However, after some thought, I feel that this is one of the quintessential topics for athletes – especially for this generation, in this country.

Happiness (definition): a state of well-being and contentment.

The goal of humans, when you break it down, is quite simple and blunt.  All individuals who ever lived have tried to seek out happiness in one way or another.  Whether it be religion, family, food, drugs, or money – we’ve tried to gain the almost unattainable.  We are programmed in such a way that we deeply long for an experience that is beyond our mental capacity.  This is no different with sports.

I can testify to the joy that comes with playing a sport – namely baseball, which I played through college.  Through my first two years of college ball, you could have mistaken my E.R.A. for the weight of a new born.  Things were turning ugly and I wasn’t receiving much joy from a sport that I had always loved.  Through hard work and discipline, I was able to regain some dignity my final two years.  The point here is, happiness was fleeting.  Although I became very attached to the game, it could never satisfy my deepest desires.

Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemed Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, delves deeper into this subject in his book The Reason for God:  Belief in the Age of Skepticism.  Keller states the following in one section titled “The Personal Consequences of Sin”:

“Identity apart from God is inherently unstable.  Without God, our sense of worth may seem solid on the surface, but it never is – it can desert you in a moment…If anything threatens your identity you will not just be anxious but paralyzed with fear.  If you lose your identity through the failings of someone else you will not just be resentful, but locked into bitterness.  If you lose it through your own failings, you will hate or despise yourself as a failure as long as you live.  Only if your identity is built on God and his love can you have a self that can venture anything, face anything.”

Keller is right on point.  We were made in the image of our Creator.  Aside from Him, nothing will ever completely satisfy our need for happiness.  Not even our deep love of sports.  We were made for something far greater.  Jesus tells us in John 15:11 that by His love our “joy is made complete.”  Anything aside from that is pure exhibition.