Have you ever been on the field, about to kick that game-winning goal… or on the court, approaching the net for a heart-stopping block… or on the track, bounding flawlessly over the last hurdle… and felt like, somehow, you were making God proud? Like being in your element was somehow giving you joy and God glory?
It can and should feel like that every single time.
When you use your gifts and talents to their fullest potential, glorify God with your body, and are marked by the fruits of the Spirit as you compete, your athleticism becomes
an act of worship! Let’s break it down:
God uniquely wired you with specific talents, strengths, dreams, and bents. When you work hard and hone in on your gifts, not only for your benefit but to honor the Lord, He is glorified!
1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.”
The Bible also instructs us to use our God-given gifts as a
way to serve others, which ultimately is a
form of worship!
1 Peter 4 teaches: “Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.” Being a good steward of your athleticism means being the best version of yourself that you can be, to serve your teammates and others, and to show gratitude to your heavenly Father, who
gives us every good gift (including sports!).
Scripture makes it very clear that we are not our own. Our bodies, everything we are and everything we have belong first to God!
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 reads, “Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.”
Christians too often forget that the Holy Spirit lives inside us, even when we forget He’s there. This means that we should be intentional to
use our bodies for God’s glory–in every single thing we do with them.
If you’re an athlete, you glorify God with your body when you train and discipline it to function at its highest level (as long as it doesn’t become an obsession, of course), when you respond gracefully after a missed foul call, when the linebacker takes you down by the facemask and you choose not to put up a fight, when you’re honest about being the one who was in the volleyball net, when you
resist arguing and complaining after Coach takes you out of the game, when you offer genuine congratulations to a teammate after an exceptional performance (even when you’re salty about your own).
If you’re a follower of Jesus, your calling is to look different than “the world.” You are free, and set apart by and for God! Galatians 5 tells us that people who are not filled with the Holy Spirit are angry, envious, selfish, divisive, jealous… but people who are filled with the Holy Spirit are marked by the fruits of the Spirit:
Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to have all the fruits of the Spirit and still be competitive, tenacious, skilled, intense, and excited during play. Representing Jesus and being athletic are not mutually exclusive. In fact, how you reflect the character of God in your sport will be a testimony to your unbelieving team members, your Coaches, and everyone watching you play.
When the way you compete is defined by: using your talents to their fullest potential, glorifying God with your body, and being in step with the Spirit, it is an
act of worship!
Come join us at
Fellowship of Christian Athletes, as we strive to glorify God in everything we do.
7405 SW Tech Center Dr. Suite 140 Portland, OR 97223 USA