Original Article at MitigatorFC.com
I am going to go through a few of those texts and look at what Scripture wants to teach us about sports.
The Bible provides clear fundamentals about how a Christian can lead an outwardly living Christian life, what the Bible says about God, and how a Christian life should look, and can be applied to help us understand what sports are all about as followers of Jesus. A series of biblical verses tell us how to be a good athlete, or they use sports as metaphors for matters of life and faith.
In the New Testament, the apostle Paul often uses competitive sports as metaphors for the challenges of Christian life. The New Testament contains a number of references to sports and professional athletes. In the New Testament in particular, sports are frequently used as a way of illustration of the doctrine and providing further understanding of the doctrine. Most important, however, the Bible speaks of sports merely as a means of communicating the Gospel to people.
2 Timothy 2:5 – And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
There are a few places in the Bible where sports are actually mentioned. Sports that could be said to have been mentioned even in the Bible include wrestling, boxing, and running for the heart. A sport is a form of physical activity that is done for enjoyment, and requires some degree of competitiveness, like running, wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, soccer, or basketball. Other types of competitive games which do not require significant skills, movements, activities, and physical exertion cannot be called sports.
Quite often, these types of games involve high levels of randomness or luck, and cannot be called sports. People of different backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures participate in sports, playing against friends, strangers, and international competitors. Often, athletes get so excited by their sport that it becomes an identity for them.
1 Corinthians 6:12 – All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
However, we need to be careful that sports do not become an idol in our lives, but rather, to engage with them so they can give glory to God. At the same time, entertainment and games are an important part of society; they are not an alternative to God, nor should we make sports the idol over God. This means sports is one aspect of life which can be offered as an offering to God.
The opportunity to participate in sports is one aspect of Gods creation that can be enjoyed to the glory of God. God made humans capable of playing sports in order that they would reflect Him, using their talents to create greater communities and making the world a better place to live. God also uses sports to make us more like God, while living the highs and lows that inevitably come with them.
Philippians 3:14 – I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
As Christians offer their sports as a form of worship to God, whether during highs or inevitable lows, Christians can be glad of the fact that God is molding them to be more like Him through sports. As athletes play, train, and compete in their sport as a form of worship to God, athletes also have the opportunity to use sport to share the Gospel message of God with fellow athletes they share communities with. Christian athletes and coaches frequently have opportunities to use their visibility in sport as a platform for gospel promotion. Christians who participate in sport can testify to many benefits such participation can offer, including reduced stress; weight control; camaraderie; and development of skills of accountability, leadership, and communication, goal-setting, and problem-solving.
Christian athletes, coaches, and fans must be filled with the Spirit and show the fruits of the Spirit wherever Christian athletes are, whether it is in the arena, the court, the court, or the locker room. As with all areas of life, we need to be balanced with regard to our participation in sports. Sports should be used as a means of training, teaching, and testing us so that we can better serve our families, communities, and the world. Athletes can honor God by being examples for how sports are put into perspective. The best way to honor God through sports is by using games to demonstrate the power of God in your life.
Proverbs 27:2 – Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
The Apostle Paul compares Christian walking with competing in sports because of its demand for self-control and discipline. Here, the Apostle Paul speaks about the self-control athletes must have in order to achieve their rewards.
As the Apostle Paul does often, Paul uses an athletic example in order to shed light on a spiritual truth. Paul is striving to earn the ultimate prize of salvation, just like athletes are striving to earn it. The New Testament is filled with verses that contrast Christians spiritual struggles with athletes physical struggles.
Athletic competitions are highly valued in that part of the world, so New Testament authors used sports as analogies that they knew would make sense to their audiences. Sports were a major part of Roman culture, and therefore the people would be able to relate to the examples used in the Bible. Perhaps because of the distinctly foreign nature of sports like running and horse racing, the Israelites themselves were frowned upon.
Even the Bible notes athletes could not win if they did not follow the rules of their sports. Just as in the case of a race, where the rules are laid down, anyone who breaks one is disqualified, so in Christian life, where rules are laid down in Scripture, written in the pages of holy scripture, and those who break those rules are disqualified, they will not be given that crown which does not wear off. Here are a few inspirational sports Bible verses, broken down into categories such as training, winning, losing, sportsmanship, and competition.
Every great athlete will tell you that there is more to sports success than hours upon hours of practice. Competitive sports demand a combination of physical, mental, mental, and emotional efforts, and it is more likely that you need a teacher, coach, or coach to extract the best out of an athlete. Talent is plentiful in the sports world, but talented athletes are dime-a-dozen.
Hebrews 12:1 – Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,