Few things are as untamed by Christians as sports. Few areas of life have the gospel unapplied to it like sports. We are desperate for thoughtful Christians to reform their approach to sports. Without wasting any more time, here are 6 reasons why:
Prosperity Gospel
Much of the “Christianity” and “gospel” that is presented in the sports world is of a genie-like God (more like “god”) who wants nothing more than for you and your team to be successful. He wants you to stay safe and uninjured. He wants you to win every game and always be a good sport. And, of course, He likes your team more than He likes the other team—but, we’re still going to be nice to them.
I’ve been around it, heard it, and still witness it. From parents to team chaplains, from players to coaches, this is rampant in the sports world. It’s amazing how evangelicals so quickly adopt a sports version of the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel as soon as they step onto the field.When is the last time you’ve heard a pregame prayer when someone prayed: Father, do whatever it takes tonight to cause us to be less self-reliant and more dependent on you. Do whatever it takes to make an eternal impact on our souls. If we win, if we play well, don’t let it take away our love for Christ. If we lose, if we don’t play well, expose our idols and cause us to love each other even when we lose.
Often times, not all the time, far more work is done for eternity when someone gets hurt, plays bad, or gets benched. One of the most dangerous things for someone’s heart is if they always succeed, only win, and are nothing but beloved by the fans.
For high school sports, it’s often the parents (and even Christian parents sometimes) who can be the worst. God is always good when their children are doing well. Yes and amen when God gives us victory! But, when we lose, God isn’t talked about. If He is, it’s often in a pseudo-Christian way of thinking that God wants us to suffer a little loss first before He puts our team and career back on top. We don’t like a God who allows us to lose every game.Identity Issues
I have seen teammates who put their identity in sports react in different ways whenever sports fails them. First, they go off the deep end into alcohol, pain killers, sex, or other drugs. Second, they dig even deeper demanding that sports satisfy them. They cannot stand to think of life without sports or without succeeding in sports. Third, they fall into despair and anxiety quicker than the dew evaporates in a New Orleans summer. Fourth, they are bitter towards teammates and slander them in front of others. Fifth, they have no clue who they are whenever sports are done.
Countless athletes and coaches put their identity in their performance (only another form of works-righteousness). I have been there numerous times too. One of the best things that God can ever do to an athlete is to strip them of their athletic identity so that they must cling to Christ. When is the last time you’ve seen a Christian coach encourage one of his players who has been struggling on the field and yet simultaneously is growing in shifting his or her identity from sports to Christ?
When I was at Tulane, I went through a “chiseling” season in my identity. I went from being the number one receiver the year before to immediately being the number seven receiver under a new head coach. My performance was my idol. I was my performance on the field. I idolized sports. Then, God broke me.
Why did this happen? Ultimately, because God loved me so much that He sent His Son to die for me, and therefore He would also send the Spirit to purge sin out of me. At one point, my prosperity gospel believing coach looked at me and said, “You’re not a Christian! I’m a Christian.”
Safe to say, I was losing everything of a self-made identity in that season. Jesus loved me so much that He stripped it away so that I would have to learn to look away from myself and onto Him. I have seen so many other solid Christian men go through these seasons as well. Are we going to encourage this?Horrendous Pre-Game Sermons
I was beyond blessed to sit under a BCM Pastor, Corey Olivier (who was also our team chaplain at Tulane), for four years. Corey preached the gospel. And when I say Corey preached the gospel, I mean it. I also had the great opportunity to spend four months with Jack Easterby, team chaplain of the New England Patriots, in 2014. That man also preached the gospel. Week-in and week-out, these men showed us Jesus. But, here is the truth: Not everyone does this.
I have been around other team chaplains, seen clips of, and heard from other people about the vast majority of what’s preached in sports circles. It’s an offense to God. To put it bluntly, it’s turning the gospel into a whoring mechanism after sports glory. That’s strong but that’s how bad it is.
There are men who prostitute God’s Word for their own agenda to get “amens”, head nods, and retweets. Athletes LOVE it whenever they can take something in Scripture as a guarantee that they will win or have a successful career. These “sermons” are some of the most man-centered things I have ever heard. There have been men who twist Scripture to say what it clearly doesn’t say in order to pump up the team they preach to.
Praise God for men like Corey and Jack! We need more of them. We need men who are saturated with the biblical gospel who proclaim a true gospel and make gospel-centered applications. We need more men who will proclaim a God who is so infinite that all of our sports must be centered around Him.Horrendous Pre-Game Prayers
When I was in High School, I was playing travel basketball for a couple of years. We had a phenomenal basketball coach. But, before each game, he did something that unfortunately is done all too often. He would lead us in the Lord’s Prayer and immediately after begin to curse and take God’s name in vain to pump us up.
I have been in so many circles where people use the Lord’s Prayer as if it’s a cult-like chant rather than a somber and holy moment to speak to our loving and Holy Father. There are many in the sports world who quote the Lord’s Prayer as if it’s some magic incantation that will guarantee them Samson-like strength to defeat their opposition.
Because God isn’t seen as God, many pray to a god who might manipulate the game in their favor for their glory. It’s quite the scene to see adamant unbelievers who want nothing to do with Jesus pray the prayer that He Himself modeled for us before every game. Even Christian athletes themselves use that prayer as if it’s a magic potion. These prayers are far more about us and far less about Christ.Missing the Point
Sports exist for the glory of Christ. The joy of playing sports should trace us back to a greater joy of knowing Jesus. The lessons we learn in sports are lessons that we should use for growing in the Christian life. The trials we go through and the perseverance we learn in sports should be training for persevering in Christ.
Everything about sports is meant for us to grow in Christ. If we’re not growing in Christ while playing sports then we’re not doing sports rightly. Coaches aren’t taking advantage of what they should take advantage of. Athletes are not applying the lessons to their walk with Jesus the way they should. We’re missing the whole point of sports if there is no Christ in sports.Missing Church
I wonder how much our church attendance might go up this Fall. I wonder how many college students might actually wake up on Sunday morning. I wonder how many parents won’t have to travel to sports tournaments weekend after weekend this year. It’s amazing how we are so determined to never miss a game or be late to practice but we’re fine showing up late to church or just catching up on a podcast later. It’s amazing how zealous parents are for their child to make the baseball or cheerleading team but could care less if they go to youth group or Sunday school (it’s clearly too much to ask for Sunday evening worship). How will we ever teach our kids what it means to be a Christian if we only teach them over and over that church is optional?***Parents, are you more concerned with your child’s growth in sports than you are in their growth in Christ? You can tell by how much time, money, and passion that you put in sports compared to what you put in the Christian life.***
It’s amazing how many of us are more influenced during the week by what happens on Saturdays in the Fall than by what we hear proclaimed from God’s Word on Sunday.
Scenario: It’s Tuesday afternoon. The coffee is wearing off. You’re almost done with a second workday in the week. Do you find yourself remembering the score of the game on Saturday? Could you summarize the game to a co-worker who didn’t see it? Can you remember the stats of how many yards your team’s quarterback threw for? Let’s try another test. Can you remember what text was the preacher preached from this past Sunday (a more recent event)? Could you summarize the sermon to a co-worker whose curious about Christianity? Can you remember what the preacher said about how that text changes the way you live on this Tuesday afternoon?
It’s not only about physically missing church. It’s about spiritually missing church. You sat in the pews going through the motions because you’re preoccupied with reminiscing last night’s game and what it means for you and your team this week. We love to spend more time talking about church at sports than talking about Christ at church.
And here is the thing: I am part of this problem.
I love sports. We should love sports. We should care deeply about sports. But, sports is not God. Every game matters. Every loss, win, injury, touchdown, timeout, roars from the crowd, boos from the fans, and joy experienced from an upset win matters. God is sovereign over every single detail of everything in the sports world. But, He is sovereign over it for His glory. He is jealous for His glory, not ours. In other words, if we’re not taking advantage of the entirety of sports for our glorifying God and knowing God’s love for us then we’re idolizing sports. We’re not using it for what it’s meant for.
How many are led away from Christ in the name of a “Christ” who cares more about their sports career or their team winning than he does with them knowing Him!
Lord Jesus, come quickly!