Archive for Scripture
Sports and Competition in the Original Design? Absolutely
Posted by: | CommentsOur questions are: Why and how should a Christian pursue athletic greatness? Or how can I justify my drive to become the best athlete I can be? We begin today with point number one.
A Christian can joyfully pursue athletic greatness because sports and competition fit into the very good of God’s original design.
Soon after putting my faith in Christ, I started a Bible study group that met once a week. We called it the Jesus Christ Discussion (or JCD), because I wanted it to unashamedly focus on Jesus. We didn’t really study the Word in a systematic way (yes, big mistake I know), but instead, sought answers to whatever questions people raised (and there were many).
When I look back on those weekly meetings, I realize that I was completely unable to answer a lot of legitimate questions because of one main fault: I did not understand the storyline of Scripture. Sure, I knew some things about the Bible. All the stories, most of the main teachings, but if you had asked me to explain to you how the Bible fits together into one coherent story, I would have had no clue. I probably wouldn’t have told you that, sadly, but I really would have been lost.
I realize now that when it comes to the topic of sports and competition (and a host of other topics), it is vital to understand the basic outline of the Bible. After all, you won’t find Paul or Jesus speaking specifically about sport. The answers may be there, but they can only be found when you understand the big story. Or at least the big outline of the story. In its most simplest form, the Bible’s outline runs like this: Creation, Fall, Redemption.
And it is especially in the first part of the outline that we find the necessary fuel to support my first assertion. For when we look at the creation accounts in Genesis 1-2, we find a very good God designing, in His words, a good creation and putting a very good man and woman in charge.
“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping things that creeps on the earth.’
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth…And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day” (Genesis 1:26-28, 31).
The interesting thing about this creation account, and the very important point related to our discussion of sport, is the simple reality that according to the Bible, God wasn’t done with His creative work after the first six days.
That may come as a surprise statement to some, but the reality is actually quite plain. Our good Creator fashioned us as His image-bearers to continue His creative work in the world. He created a paradise, but not the sort of paradise we too often (and misguidedly) daydream about today – you know, the place where we lay around and do nothing. Instead, He placed us in a perfect creation and told us to creatively and diligently bring out all the potential in that creation. In essence, He told us to get to work for our good and His glory.
Genesis 2:15 tells us, ‘The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.’ So God created man to garden His creation. But as any good gardener knows, man was not supposed to simply maintain the garden status quo (keeping everything the same), but instead, to maximize the potential of the garden for bearing fruit and everything else. Not only that, and this is very important for us, but as man was a part of the created order himself, his calling to develop the earth’s potential included developing his own potential, including His potential to create and participate in sport.
All that is a lot truth stuffed into blog-abbreviated form, but I do think it is faithful to the story of Scripture and more than applicable to anyone concerned with pursuing excellence in sport (or excellence in anything for that matter). For when we look at the very beginning of creation, we find that mankind had the freedom and power, indeed, the very blessing of a loving God, to develop and organize various kinds of games for his own joy and God’s own glory. Though it might not seem plain on the surface, sports and competition definitely do fit into the very good of God’s design.
Is there more to it than that? Of course, but I have limited myself to six points and isn’t it obvious that this is a big one? For we all know that sports (at least most of them) are good things, but this gives a foundational explanation as to why. And if you are in pursuit of athletic excellence, I can’t help but think that you will join me in giving thanks for such good news.
Why Pursue Athletic Greatness? Our Six-Point Outline
Posted by: | CommentsAfter re-reading my introductory post from yesterday, I realized that in seeking to answer the questions I raised, I might be able to blog for a year. And maybe I should, for I do want to one day write a book on the topic (and actually have a handful of chapters in rough draft form). But even if I should, I am not going to do so (at least not now). Instead, I am going to limit what I have to say to six blog posts. Why six? I am not sure. But six it is. So let’s begin.
As a reminder, here are the two questions I raised.
Why and how should a Christian pursue athletic greatness? Or, as a Christian, how can I justify my drive to become the best athlete I can be?
Here are my six up-coming posts.
3) A Christian can joyfully pursue athletic greatness because such a pursuit can and should serve others. Part 1and Part 2.
4) A Christian can joyfully pursue athletic greatness because he (or she) lives in hope that one day all things (including sports) will be made new and that here and now, in sports, he (or she) can serve as an imperfect preview of that perfect day to come. Part 1 and Part 2.
5) A Christian should joyfully pursue athletic greatness in light of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Part 1 and Part 2.
6) A Christian should joyfully pursue athletic greatness with utmost diligence and utmost humility. Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
Those six may not be perfect, but they should serve us well. No doubt more could be said, but as I look at the clock, six seems to be a good number, for my blogging time is up. I look forward to covering point one tomorrow.
Why Pursue Athletic Greatness?
Posted by: | CommentsYesterday I posted about the general lack of emphasis within sports circles on what I believe to be two of the most important characteristics for any great athlete (or individual), namely, character and drive. I used Tim Tebow as an example as he certainly seems to be a young man of high character and high drive.
In reflecting on that post, a question kept coming to mind: In light of Tim Tebow’s faith in Christ and his deep drive to become the best quarterback he can be, why and how should a Christian pursue athletic greatness? Or, as a Christian, how can I justify my drive to become the best athlete I can be?
As I said, this came to mind as I thought of Tim Tebow, but as you might imagine, it is a question that is very close to my heart. Indeed, it can’t help but be close to my heart because I am a Christian and I have spent the bulk of my life pursuing athletic greatness. I suppose you can say that I need good, biblically based answers to these questions in order to justify the numerous hours I have spent and continue to spend pursuing athletic success. If the glory of God and the needs of others are as important as I make them out to be, how can I spend so much time on something as seemingly trivial as becoming great at a game?
Not only that, but such questions are personal in another regard. I have kids, four or them right now, all of whom I will encourage to pursue greatness at something (and yes, basketball might be among…just might). But why? What foundation will I give them? And if sports is among their pursuits, what sort of Christian perspective will I provide for them so that they know without a shadow of a doubt that the pursuit of athletic greatness is not (or at least does not have to be) at odds with the pursuit of God and His glory?
Some out there might think that such questions are unnecessary or will just lead to needless confusion. Naturally, I do not believe that, but instead would actually propose that if Christianity is true (as I believe) and that in being true, the Bible best speaks to how live ought to be lived in love for God and service to others, whatever it says about sport are the most important things you will ever learn about sport. Indeed, I would even go so far as to say that the only way to become the very best you can be is to embrace a biblical perspective of sport.
Sound a bit crazy? Maybe. But I don’t think it should. After all, everyone knows that the way we play is an extension of who we are. So what we believe about sport and the pursuit of athletic greatness means much more than we might initially expect.
All that is said by way of introduction. Stay tuned, for beginning tomorrow, I will begin to answer my questions and to justify my assertions. I am not sure how long I will go, but as I sit here today, I realize that there is plenty of material to come.
Sticking to Your Word
Posted by: | CommentsAs recently as last week, Jerry Jones was quoted as saying that Wade Phillips would finish the season as the Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Yesterday, Phillips was fired by that same Jones.
This serves as yet another example of how difficult it is for someone to actually say something and stand by it, no matter how difficult it may be. Or to carefully consider what to say in the first place. Now, after the Cowboys poor start and horrible performance the other night against the Packers, I can understand why Phillips was fired. However, I think we should all be frustrated at the actions of a man who says one thing and then goes on to do another. Clearly, Jones has shown that he is a man who, like too many of us, thinks it is no big deal to say something and do the opposite one week later. His yes is not really ‘yes’ and his ‘no’ not really no.
Lest we go on pointing the finger and Jones and feeling all good about ourselves, however, we are wise to recognize that we too often are guilty of the very same thing. We are careless in what we say. We make commitments we don’t intend to keep. Or that we intend to keep, but aren’t very diligent in carrying out. If we are Christians, we might even say, “I will pray for you” in a careless fashion and never follow through. Or we are incessantly late. Or generally unreliable.
This should bother us more than it currently does. Jones’ carelessness should make us face up and hate our own. Not only that, but from my perspective as a Christian, a story such as this should make us long for the day when everyone will say what they mean and stick to it. And lead us to more diligently seek to live that way now.
So how should Jones have handled this situation? As far as I see it, here were some central options. We can learn from at least 3 of them.
1) He could have been more careful in what he said in the first place. Something like the following may have sufficed. “I really don’t like to make a coaching change in the middle of the season, and I certainly don’t want to do so now, but if things get worse and it seems to be in the best interest of the club, it is a move I won’t be afraid to make.”
I see absolutely nothing wrong with saying something like that. It is fair and understandable to everyone involved. We should take notes for our own personal situations.
2) After coming out with his statement that Wade Phillips would finish the season, he could have stuck by it at all costs and set an example of being a man of his word. He could even have said this week, “You know what, I wish I hadn’t said what I said last week about Wade Phillips remaining head coach for the rest of the season, because I want to fire him after our poor performance against the Packers, but I do not want to go back on my word, so no matter how bad it gets, he will remain our head coach for the rest of the season. I realize that many people may be frustrated with me for this decision, and I understand, but I am willing to accept the consequences and feel that no matter how bad they are, they are better than me going back on what I said.”
I am not holding my breath for that one, but again, we should take notes.
3) After his statement of last week, he could have made the decision to fire Phillips, while offering an apology for being careless with his words last week. “I have decided that I was foolish and careless with my words last week and that it is in the best interest of the club to fire Phillips today. I realize now that I was trying to manipulate the situation in hopes that the team would rally around Phillips. I wasn’t honest and I publicly ask for forgiveness from Phillips and everyone else for essentially lying.”
What a breath of fresh air that would be huh? Can’t see it happening, but why can’t we do something like that?
4) He could have fired himself as General Manager of the club, a move, it seems, that would be quite popular with Cowboy fans. “Even though this is kind of weird, as the Owner of the Cowboys, I have decided to fire myself as the General Manager. After all, I hired Phillips and had a huge say in each player that is on this team. I accept the fact that the position of General Manager may be beyond my ability and humbly terminate myself! The fact that I was careless with my words last week was the last straw, so effectively immediately, So-and-So is taking over for me at the General Manager position.”
I am not sure how we can apply that personally, but it would be a fun story. At the very least, such humility would be well-received by many. At least I hope.
All in all, this story should remind us that what we say and how well we stick by what we say is more important that we often realize. Jesus said, “Let your Yes, be Yes and your No, no. Can you imagine a world in which everyone did just that? I can’t wait and pray now that I would better preview that coming day by saying what I mean and sticking to it. Or humbly repenting of my failure to do so. Or, if necessary, humbly repenting and firing myself.
Shalom: The Way Things Ought to Be
Posted by: | CommentsBelow is one of my all-time favorite quotes- from anyone. In his book, Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin, Cornelius Plantinga writes,
The prophets knew how many ways human life can go wrong because they knew how many ways human life can go right. (You need the concept of a wall on a plumb to tell when one is off.) These prophets kept dreaming of a time when God would put things right again.
They dreamed of a new age in which human crookedness would be straightened out, rough places made plain. The foolish would be made wise and the wise, humble. They dreamed of a time when the deserts would flower, the mountains would run with wine, weeping would cease and people could go to sleep without weapons on their laps. People would work in peace and work to fruitful effect. Lambs could lie down with lions. All nature would be fruitful, benign, and filled with wonder upon wonder; all humans would be knit together in brotherhood and sisterhood; and all nature and all humans would look to God, walk with God, lean toward God and delight in God. Shouts of joy and recognition would well up from valleys and seas, from women in streets and from men on ships.
The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom. We call it peace but it means far more than mere peace of mind or a cease-fire between enemies. In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness and delight – a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as its Creator and Savior opens doors and welcomes the creatures in whom he delights. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be.
If you think about it, we all hold some unwritten standard of the way things ought to be. The question we ought to ask ourselves is where does this unwritten standard come from? Who is its author? How has it been informed? Usually, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that we have just decided the standard ourselves. We pick things up here and there and then set our views up as ultimate and well-informed.
From a Christian standpoint, however, this is arrogance. Humility dictates the need for a source outside oneself. An authoritative one. This is where the Bible and the need for us to study it with diligence comes so clearly into view. For though many read it and see incoherence, when rightly understood and studied, a unified story emerges. And not just any unified story, but the ultimate unified story, indeed, the only unified story that can tell us how things ought to be, and what has been done to assure that Shalom will come to pass.
This line of thinking is about as practical as it gets. For no matter the topic, understanding how life ought to be is central to how you ought to think and act now. When thinking about sports or the environment or politics or marriage or whatever, apart from an authoritative standard, you thinking will be far from clear. Theology is incredibly practical.
I could say more, but that is enough for now. Suffice it to say that if what I have said really is true (especially if you are a Christian), you ought to do all you can to understand Shalom, or the way things ought to be. In subsequent posts, I will make a few book recommendations.
