About the Sport Principle
This is my final thought in this series of sports principles. If you’ve managed to read each of these blogs, stretching back well over a year, well done. Well done too if you’ve managed to read any of them. I really appreciate any time and attention that you have invested in reading these ideas over recent weeks and months, and I hope that at least some of them have been helpful to you. Our time and attention are fossil fuels, they are the gas, oil and coal of our internal worlds. They are finite and limited and so I appreciate any of them at all being spent on any of my thoughts shared here. However, there is no limit to the countless connections between sport and our journey of faith that can be made. That’s much more like renewable wind, solar or wave-generated energy, but I shall leave further connections and the related wisdom for life to others. With 40 being such a prominent biblical number, I feel that ‘sport principle 40’ is as good a place as any to stop. So here is a final thought for you as I wrap up this series.
Application to Life
Think of all the words and concepts we often associate with sporting success: perseverance; being in it for the long haul; hard training; sacrifice; resilience; mental toughness; courage; determination; skill; stamina; flexibility; hard graft; blood, sweat and tears; to name a few.
It’s not difficult to see how these sporting concepts transfer across to life, and preparation for it. Which of the concepts listed above do you need more of in your life toolbox? Where exactly do you need them?
We know that we have the crowd of all of heaven cheering us on, the greatest coach in the Universe in Jesus, who knows what it’s like to compete and win in this game of human life. God the Father is the Umpire, referee, and judge all rolled into one, and we can have absolute confidence that He is absolutely just and fair in His decisions. Even our opponent (the Devil) is already beaten. The game is won, we just get to enjoy being involved as part of God’s team. So may we ensure we enjoy it, and play this game of life to win!
Thank you once again for your time and attention across this series of blogs. May I take this opportunity to wish you well for the future. Please know that I am praying for you as you keep striving to be obedient to Jesus. Please pray for me. It’s only by His grace that any of us can stand.
“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8
Image credit: Louis Hansel via Unsplash
