Some people follow sports passionately. Zealous football fans buy season tickets, wear jerseys, carry posters, paint their faces, buy bumper stickers, yell at the top of their lungs during the opposing team’s huddle, and maybe even appear on TV during a game. It feels great to be a fan, no matter our country or favorite sport, especially when surrounded by other fans. Everyone has the same goal. We’re all doing something together… or are we?
Though not a fanatic myself, I can name some skilled quarterbacks, baseball players, swimmers, runners, and tennis champs. But I’ve never heard the name of a single radical sports enthusiast. They may know a lot about sports and players, but they don’t actually compete. Serious athletes get out there and play!
I Chronicles 11 spotlights a number of David’s mighty men. Many of them started out indebted and distressed, rejected by society. But once they met David they followed him wholeheartedly and grew to become seriously strong and valiant soldiers. None of them sat on the sidelines cheering the others on. No! They all fought!
We, like David’s dedicated followers above, were once enslaved to sin and miserable in our hopeless condition. But Jesus came and basically invited us to follow Him. We’re now each an integral part of His team.
The great news is that He’s equipped us all to win. There are no mere bench warmers, mascots, or water boys on His team. We each have a part to play. But do we see ourselves as team members and are we showing up for training, or are we merely spectators and fans?
Paul liked to use sports analogies to describe what it means to follow Christ. One of the most inspiring passages is 1 Corinthians 9:24-27:
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
If we ask, God will reveal our strengths and gifts, tools we can use to serve others, to encourage others, to love others. And He’ll lead us daily in ways to step out of our comfort zones and get into the game, taking steps of faith and seeing Him accomplish amazing things through us.
This is our calling and our goal: exercising self-control, disciplining our bodies, and actually using our gifts. We’re not here to merely observe and comment.
Let’s be strong in the Lord and live a life of victory!
