Archive for Theology
Pursuing Athletic Greatness in Light of the Gospel – Part 2
Posted by: | CommentsToday we continue with point number five in answer to my questions: 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? (If you haven’t been following along, you can follow my outline here.)
5) A Christian should joyfully pursue athletic greatness in light of the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Yesterday I pointed out how the gospel frees us from pursuing excellence in order to prove ourselves. Today I make one other assertion regarding point five.
b) The gospel frees us from the need to exalt ourselves.
Yesterday I spelled out the whole biblical story in abbreviated form in order to highlight how our sin has led us to define ourselves by what we do or what we can obtain or who we can become. I said that from a biblical perspective, we seek to prove ourselves or define ourselves by our works because we have cut ourselves off from the One who was meant to give us true life, meaning, security, and identity.
The foundation for this point is really the same. However, rather than emphasizing the desire to prove ourselves or define ourselves by our works, this point emphasizes the inner desire to receive credit or glory for those works. Again, this pursuit of glory or self-exaltation does not look the same for us all, but from a biblical perspective, it is always there. We want to be recognized, given credit, have someone take notice of what we do or what we have obtained or who we have become. And usually, we want it way too much.
And can there be any doubt that this desire for self-exaltation is written all over the pursuit of athletic excellence in our day? If you don’t believe so, you must not have a TV. For no matter the contest, you are bound to see plenty an athlete in pursuit of personal glory. It is all too obvious that humility does not dominate our sports today.
And yet, from a biblical perspective, this pursuit of glory is not all bad. It is simply misdirected. For according to the biblical story, we were created to pursue glory. Just not our own. Instead, we were created by God to pursue His glory in our every word, thought, and endeavor. Indeed, we can even say that it is our glory to do so. Even in sports.
But again, our sin cut us off from this design. By rebelling against our Creator, we cut ourselves off from the pursuit of His glory and instead, embarked in pursuit of our own. But here comes the good news yet again. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are made right with God and set free from the burdening pursuit of self-glory. Our hearts are made new and centered upon the only pursuit of glory that matters, the pursuit of the glory of God. Indeed, because of Jesus Christ, we can find our true glory by seeking His.
How this changes our pursuit of athletic excellence should be obvious yet again. For rather than seeking athletic greatness with a view towards exalting our own greatness, we can seek greatness with a view towards exalting God’s greatness. And though it may not seem so motivating at first glance, if the biblical story is accurate, there is actually no greater motivating force in all the world. For if the glory of God is at the center of God’s design, the pursuit of His glory must be the most freeing and empowering in all the world. It must be what is best for us. No doubt, it is much better than the weight of seeking our own.
Actually, in the end, if you really want your own highest glory, the only way to find it is by seeking His. As Jesus said, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12). Humility, rather than a hindrance to athletic excellence, is actually essential to such a pursuit. For only the humble heart can be in radical pursuit of the glory of God (with a right mind at least). Indeed, only with a humble heart can we become as excellent as God wants us to be. Even in sports.
Does that sound like good news? I hope so. For it is certainly good news to me.
Pursuing Athletic Greatness in Light of the Gospel – Part 1
Posted by: | CommentsToday we move forward with point number five in answer to my questions: 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? (If you haven’t been following along, you can follow my outline here.)
I believe I can summarize my final two points over the next few days. Never mind, I just wrote today’s post and only covered part of this point. But here we go. Today I comment upon this:
5) A Christian should joyfully pursue athletic greatness in light of the person and work of Jesus Christ.
In looking again at this point, I suppose nothing could be more obvious. After all, if you are a Christian, the entirety of your life is supposed to be lived in light of the person and work of Jesus Christ. The very title ‘Christian’ makes that plain. What Jesus has done, continues to do, and one day will do is supposed to define the whole of your existence. The good news of Jesus (the gospel) is not a mere starting point for your life as a Christian, but the central message that when faithfully understood and applied shapes your entire life. So naturally it ought to define how you pursue athletic greatness.
That being said, I realize that it may not be so obvious how the gospel affects the way in which you seek athletic greatness. If I were to ask various Christian athletes, “How do the truths of the gospel change the way you seek athletic greatness?”, I can’t help but think that I would encounter more than a few blank stares. So today I offer the first of three ways in which it does. Or at least it should.
a) The gospel frees you from the need to prove yourself.
If you look at the beginning of the Christian story, you find that although God created man to do creative works, He did not mean for those works to define man’s very essence. Instead, God Himself was supposed to be the beginning, middle, and end for man. As image-bearer, man’s relationship to his Creator was the most important thing about him. His works were meant to be the overflow of the satisfaction he found in his God.
When man sinned, however, he essentially told God that he didn’t need Him in order to find meaning and purpose in life. Instead, he could independently define his own existence, prove his own worth. Obviously this didn’t turn out so well. Though man continued to work, he worked in order to define or to prove himself. Because his identity was not secure in his Maker, his works (whatever they were) became too important to him. His work (or his perspective on his work) became jacked-up, because he was jacked-up. And he was jacked-up, because he foolishly believed he could do life on his own.
Naturally, what this independence looks like varies with each individual. But according to the biblical story, that same drive to make something of yourself, to define your own existence, is now written on every human heart. Though one man may aim for a holy life or a nice family while another pursues a selfish hedonism, there is the same drive in both. Deep down, all of us are inclined to define ourselves by ourselves. By what we do, what we can obtain, what we can overcome, or who we can become. From a biblical perspective, this is our self-salvation or self-justification project. And it is all based on works.
I can’t imagine I need to give examples of how this plays out in the pursuit of athletic excellence. For the entirety of the sports world is filled with great athletes who play not because they are free from the need to prove themselves, but because they are desperately insecure and thus, using their athletic greatness to show they have worth. The competitive atmosphere of the athletic world only heightens the possibility that athletes will use their athletic greatness to prove themselves. Though some look to their athletic work more than others, virtually every high-level athlete cannot help but define himself on the basis of his athletic performance. No doubt this explains why many an athlete cannot give up his pursuit.
This theme is particularly close to my heart, because I used to be one of these athletes (and still struggle with it to some degree). Indeed, I believe I hindered much of my athletic potential because my pursuit of athletic greatness was so wrapped up into how I viewed myself as an individual. And I know I am not alone. I have lived too long in the sports world and have read too many biographies of high-level athletes to be so naive. This is a struggle for every athlete because it is a struggle for every man, woman, and child in the world.
But there is good news. And that good news is that through the person and work of Jesus Christ, we can be reconciled to God. The all-important relationship with Him that we messed up can be restored. If we bank our hopes upon Christ, God will justify us, accept us, and declare us His own. He will unite us to Christ and give us a new identity as His child and a permanent security as His heir.
Thus, through Christ, our life can be re-ordered according to God’s original design. We can be centered upon Him once again and in turn, do good works accordingly. We no longer have to prove ourselves or show ourselves worthy of respect or love or admiration. For no matter what we do, our standing with God through Christ does not change. Our identity in Him is permanent. We are forever secure.
And though it might not seem so at first glance, this has a profound effect on the way we pursue athletic excellence. For such truth cuts right to the heart of our pursuit and empowers us to seek greatness for the right reasons, with the right kind of heart. While the desire to prove oneself puts a weight on our shoulders that we cannot bear (a weight that I firmly believe hinders the potential of even the greatest of athletes), the good news of the gospel removes that weight and enables us to pursue greatness with a freedom and a joy that actually enhances our pursuit. Through Christ we are free from the need to get certain results. We are free to simply become the best we can be to His glory. And that freedom is actually exactly what we need to become our best.
I have read numerous sports psychology books over the years. And one of the things they all agree upon is that in order for you to perform your best, you must not be overly concerned about results. Peak performance always comes by focusing on the process and being free from the pressure that comes when you believe you have to win or have to perform at a certain level. Paradoxically, your best chance to perform well comes only when you aren’t overly concerned with performing well. Freedom from the need to achieve certain results actually gives you a better chance of obtaining those results.
And so it is for our pursuit of athletic excellence. Paradoxically, only when you are free from the need to achieve athletic excellence can you actually become all you want to be. Freedom from the need to prove yourself is vital. And from a Christian perspective, such freedom can only be found in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Imperfect Previews of the Perfect Day to Come – Part 2
Posted by: | CommentsWe return today to my questions: 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? (If you haven’t been following along, you can follow my outline here.)
We are still on point number four (of six):
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.
Regarding this point, I first said: a) We pursue athletic excellence in hope that because of the person and work of Jesus Christ, sports and competition (and our enjoyment of them) will one day be all we wish they were now.
Today I add this:
b) We seek to be salt and light in the sports world by pursuing athletic excellence in light of what we believe sports and competition should be and what they one day will be.
My first point (a) was supposed to highlight the belief that according to the Biblical story, sports and competition (at least most) are good things in and of themselves; and that because they are good things, there is a place for them at the end of the story, on the New Heavens and New Earth. Though I am naturally limiting what I say in order to keep these posts semi-short, I tried to highlight the belief that because of the person and work of Jesus Christ, there is hope not only for man, but also for his good (though imperfect) works. I know not every theologian out there is in perfect agreement as to exactly what this will look like, but in seeking to be faithful to the Biblical story and the work of Jesus Christ, it seems we can say that in light of a promised physical resurrection and New Heavens and New Earth, there is a hope that sports and competition will not be done away with by the return of Jesus Christ, but instead, be refined so as to become all that they were originally intended to be.
If I am welcomed to the New Earth only to find out I am wrong, I know I won’t mind it then. But I have to say that I like the thought now and do believe it makes sense in light of the story of Scripture. Not only that, but it gives me a vision for pursuing athletic excellence that is rooted in both the beginning and end of the biblical story. And Christian or not, we all should recognize that our belief about the beginning and end of things cannot help but shape our values and desires here and now. Theology is much more practical that we might first expect; and we are all practicing theologians one way or another.
That being said, I repeat my sub-point for today: We seek to be salt and light in the sports world by pursuing athletic excellence in light of what we believe sports and competition should be and what they one day will be.
In order to understand what I am saying here and how it applies, ask yourself two questions:
If there were no sin in us and thus, in the sports world, what would sports and competition look like today?
If it is true that we will enjoy sports and competition on the New Earth, with perfect motivations, and new and perfect bodies, what will our sports and competition look like then?
Great questions aren’t they? I think so. But I am sure you know instinctively that although they really are different questions, their answers are the same (at least in Christian perspective). For in light of the biblical story, the way things ought to be and the way things one day will be do not conflict, but because of Jesus Christ, come together in the end.
As regards sports and competition, and the pursuit of athletic excellence, get your imagination rolling. Imagine the sports world without any sin at all. No pride, selfishness, self-exaltation, dishonesty, anger, insecurity, idolatry, fear, but instead humility, love for others, God-centeredness, self-control, integrity, inner peace, and unending joy. Can you imagine such a world? Probably not. But according to the Christian story, that is the way things ought to be and indeed, the way they one day will be.
Even more, because of the person and work of Jesus Christ, this is the kind of sports world that Christians ought to pursue right now. Not is some domineering, theocratic sort of way, but in a humble, servant-like sort of a way. In a redemptive way. In a way that seeks to honor God and bring blessing to others. In a way that is genuinely salty and bright.
Our pursuit of this standard is sure to be imperfect, but so it is for the entirety of our Christian life. If the biblical story is accurate, then we as Christians are supposed to live the entirety of our lives in light of the way things ought to be and how they one day will be because of Jesus Christ. But if that is true, then the entirety of our lives are bound to fall short. And yet, that is no reason to shy away from such a calling, but instead, reason to have confidence that however far we fall short, our efforts are still delighted in by God and a source of blessing to others.
And so it also is for our pursuit of athletic excellence. Imperfect as it may be, it is good to pursue nonetheless. For it is pursued in hope that however imperfect we may be, we can, by God’s grace, be previews of that perfect day to come.
Imperfect Previews of the Perfect Day to Come – Part 1
Posted by: | CommentsDue to extended travel delays yesterday, I missed out on the joy of elaborating upon point number four in answer to my questions: 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? (If you haven’t been following along, you can follow my outline here.)
Point number four is this:
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.
In efforts of full disclosure, I have to admit that this is a difficult moment to write this post. For I just finished up a game that didn’t go the way I would have liked. Not only did we lose, but more importantly, I lost playing as a very imperfect preview of that perfect day to come. I was far from playing the way I would have liked, not because I missed shots I normally make (though that is never fun), but because I was not at rest in the midst of my highly competitive atmosphere. I even got a technical foul, and at this moment am still struggling to trust the Lord with what I believe was some very poor officiating.
Having said that, however, I suppose that this is a perfect time to write such a post. For I am sure plenty of people could run across my outline and first three points and think I have it all figured out. They might suppose that because I can write some semi-insightful things (at least I think they are semi-insightful) about pursuing athletic excellence to God’s glory, I am the perfect picture of it. No way. Far from it. It is more accurate to say that the only reason I can write anything significant regarding athletic excellence is because I struggle so much to pursue it to God’s glory myself. In my experience, the birth of any real insight is far from fun. Crazy as it may sound to some, this is a topic over which I have shed tears (and I don’t cry often). Indeed, my own pursuit to honor the Lord with the gifts He has given me is one I have wanted to abandon more times than I can count. And yet, I cannot run away from it. Instead, I can only keep running to Christ and in turn, share what I learn.
So here we are at point number four. I offer two sub-points, the first of which I will cover today.
a) We pursue athletic excellence in hope that because of the person and work of Jesus Christ, sports and competition (and our enjoyment of them) will one day be all we wish they were now.
As I sit here and ask myself how to expound upon this sub-point, I realize I could probably write for days. But this is a blog post (and it’s late), so here is my attempt at a faithful, short summary.
From a basic biblical perspective, we were created in perfection, for perfection. Though we are very used to it now, sin is actually a cancer, an anomaly, an unwelcome, though sadly, invited guest, which has, through us, turned God’s world upside down. As regards sport, I suppose I can say that God created us not for imperfect games participated in imperfectly, but for a joy and perfection of athletic experience unlike anything we have ever known—for a unity of soul, body, and community that the greatest sporting event in history serves only as a faint echo.
But here is something you may not think about often enough (or ever): Not only were we created for this kind of joy and perfection, but we were saved for it as well.
That might sound like a lot, but I don’t believe I am overstating the case. For according to the storyline of Scripture, Jesus Christ showed up on the world scene not only to redeem your soul, but to redeem your body and our every good work as image-bearers of God (sports included). Sure, His death and resurrection focused centrally upon redeeming us, His image-bearers. But it did not end there. For the work of Jesus Christ has the entire created order in view.
In Romans 5, the apostle Paul tells us essentially that Jesus Christ is the new and better Adam who has come to reverse the effects of the Fall. He has done what Adam, as our representative, failed to do, in order to put right all that we (through him) put wrong.
Not only that, but if you turn to the final chapters of the Bible, you see that the story ends with a perfect City, described as the New Heavens and a New Earth. Jesus comes again in power not to usher us into some eternal, spiritual hymn-sing in the clouds, but to usher us into a resurrected bodily experience on a renewed Earth. Heaven as we will know it will not be entirely different than our life right now. It will just be infinitely better.
You realize what this means for sports and the pursuit of athletic greatness right? A whole lot. But at the very least, it means that the Story of stories assures us that one day, when Jesus returns to make all things new, we will experience sport the way we really want to experience sport. We will compete in perfect bodies, with perfect motivations, and unending joy. No. We won’t all win (something I need to remind myself before every game!), but we won’t have to. For the perfection and joy of our competition will soar so much higher than the result. God will be perfectly honored. Others will be perfectly served. All greatness will serve to highlight His greatness. And boy will it be fun.
Does that sound too good to be true? Or too far away? Maybe. But it’s not. Instead, it’s as real as it can get and as good as it can get. And however impractical such truths may seem to the pursuit of athletic greatness, they are actually about as practical as can be. For such realities not only help us to know how we ought to pursue athletic excellence (our point for tomorrow), but they give us hope that because of the work of Jesus Christ and the perfect day of redemption to come, we do not pursue such greatness in vain. We will pursue it imperfectly. That I know well. But we will not pursue it in vain. Our every good effort will be rewarded because of the work of Jesus Christ. Redemption stretches even to sport and our pursuit of excellence in sport.
And for an imperfect athlete like myself, such truth is music to my ears.
Serving Others in the Pursuit of Athletic Greatness – Part 2
Posted by: | CommentsAgain, I am answering (in blog form, for they deserve so much more!) the questions: Why and how should a Christian pursue athletic greatness? Or how can I justify my drive to become the best athlete I can be?
Yesterday I started on point three: A Christian can joyfully pursue athletic greatness because such a pursuit can and should serve others. I said that 1) By pursuing athletic greatness, God is blessing and you are serving those you compete with and against.
Today I move on to my second assertion.
2) By pursuing athletic greatness, God is blessing and you are serving the community in which you compete.
Though this point is probably rarely reflected upon, I think it should actually be quite obvious to all, Christian or not. For as I sit here and think about this point, I can’t help but ask: what would Penn State (my alma mater) be like without their storied football program? Where would the consistent connection be for the thousands of alumni who gather together in various venues to watch PSU football and who purchase football jerseys or other PSU gear for themselves and their kids? If it wasn’t football, what would be the thing that unifies this incredibly diverse group of people – alumni, students, faculty, and everyone else?
We might find something else, but I don’t think we would find anything else more powerful (unless it was another sport, but even then, it is tough to top the numbers and reach of football). Indeed, the fact that every University in America would welcome a great football program is evidence of this. Whether Athletic Directors or College Presidents realize it or not, nothing can top the power of sports to unify a diverse group of people.
The story behind the movie, Invictus, is even better evidence of this. Nelson Mandela apparently understood the power of sport to unify and capitalized on it with the providential success of the South African Rugby team. Somehow many historical class and race struggles melted away (not perfectly, but at least at a greater rate) as the South African people joined their new President to cheer on the Springboks as they won the Rugby World Cup. Whether you have seen the movie or not, get the book (Playing the Enemy by John Carlin
All that being said, we know that usually, only successful teams carry this power of unification. A losing team usually does not serve the community nearly as well. After all, the only unity that results from losing is the one where the community unites to call for the firing of the Head Coach! And naturally, that isn’t the unity we are pursuing. Excellence is obviously a big key. Penn State football doesn’t serve to unify the university community and many other surrounding communities simply because it is there, but because the team is historically good. So also the South African rugby team didn’t serve to unify the country simply by competing, but by winning. Sure, the support may still be there (at times and in some respects), but athletic excellence is the key.
This point is particularly close to my heart. For from High School on up, my most enjoyable experiences as a competitor have been the ones where I instinctively understood that I was playing not simply for myself and my team, but for the blessing of a community. You play not simply to play, but to unify. For you go out on the court with the corporate name of the community on your chest. You seek greatness not simply for yourself, but for the joy of everyone involved. Your pursuit of athletic excellence is a service. God is at work through you, bringing blessing and pleasure to others through your athletic excellence.
When rightfully understood and embraced, I am convinced that there are few greater joys. Indeed, I believe that when everyone involved (fans, coaches, players, etc.) understands all of this, the joy of the entire community cannot help but increase. For when I as a competitor or coach really believe that my job is to serve others by pursuing greatness, I can do so with a much greater purity and zeal. And when the community at large knows that I am pursuing greatness for their good as well as my own, a sweet unity cannot help but evolve, provided of course that I can actually serve them by performing well.
Communities instinctively hate the player or coach that is clearly seeking greatness for his own glorification or career advancement. Why? Because he is serving only himself. He is not seeking the biblical ideal of Shalom-the peace, prosperity and well-being of everyone involved- but instead, disrupting it. His pursuit of excellence is a sinful pursuit as it centers only upon himself. Rather than unity, he brings discord. He inspires only a sinful response. Sports communities are right to run such a man out of town. Service is the key. God works best through (and usually blesses most) the pursuit of excellence that seeks to serve.
Can you imagine if just one community – from the coaches and players and ball boys to the people in the top row – understood and embraced the biblical ideals I have set forth in my first three points? Excellence, service, unity and joy to the glory of God? It would be a sports’ heaven. Or at least a taste of the real Heaven to come. But that is for point number four. And point number four is for tomorrow. All I can say now is that whether you are an athlete or not, I hope you see that the pursuit of athletic excellence doesn’t have to compete with love for others and the glory of God. Instead, let those two truths kiss! Seek to honor the Lord and serve others by becoming the best you can be.
