| Does God care about sports? This is the same | | | | dishing out the Good News of Jesus Christ. |
| question that was asked in a recent ESPN the | | | | Therefore, here is what I am contending: Christian |
| magazine. The article was about Jon Kitna, | | | | Athletics should serve solely as a means of |
| Quaterback for the Detroit Lions, and his Faith in | | | | reaching out to a hurting world for the cause of |
| Jesus Christ. At the end of the article the author | | | | Jesus Christ. |
| submitted the question that I am now answering. | | | | I understand that statement carries with it many |
| It is a very important question because I firmly | | | | questions, such as: |
| believe it should change the way Christian folks | | | | Is there a point to practicing your sport? |
| view Athletics. | | | | How do you honestly coach like that? |
| Through my years of playing within Christian | | | | Will kids accept this philosophy? |
| Athletics in high school and college I always had | | | | Should the scoreboard and stats go extinct? |
| the impression that sports were about | | | | I am not wishing to aboloish the scoreboard or |
| sportsmanship and winning. The two can be in any | | | | render athletes free of practicing, rather I believe |
| order and they were always in different order as | | | | we as Christian Athletic Servants should be |
| I moved from coach to coach. But what if sports | | | | directing our disciples' focus to a goal that carries |
| were meant for a bigger purpose than | | | | eternal value. If one is truly going to pursue that |
| handshakes and scoreboards. What if sports were | | | | goal, then one must work with all their might to |
| meant for a collective audience (fans, coaches, | | | | be the best that they can be for the Lord's |
| referees, athetes, etc.) to be drawn closer to | | | | service (Colossians 3:17,23 + Ecclesiastes 9:10). |
| Jesus Christ? If I were to answer the latter, then | | | | Picture God up in heaven with a giant toolbox |
| I believe our current outlook on Christian Athletics | | | | next to His throne. Inside of His toolbox are many |
| should change. | | | | tools that represent different ways to spread the |
| Matthew 28:19-20, the Great Commission, calls | | | | Good News of Jesus Christ and help a hurting |
| Christians to, 'go out and make disciples of all the | | | | world - i.e. Church Congregations, Missionaries, |
| nations by baptizing and teaching.' The passage | | | | Youth Groups, Christian Education, Music, Art, etc. |
| never specifically states how we are to teach. In | | | | - Athletics is one of His instruments. As a |
| fact we know that Jesus, Himself, taught in many | | | | community of Christian Athletics we should desire |
| different ways - i.e. Parables (Luke 15:4-7), | | | | to give the Lord our best effort at all times so |
| Miracles (Genesis 1 and John 4:46), Questioning | | | | that we can be useful for His Glory. |
| (Mark 12:35), Drawing (John 8:1-11), History (John | | | | So, does God care about Sports? Without a |
| 4:1-27) and Using Children (Luke 18:16) just to | | | | shadow of a doubt - Yes - if done with a right |
| name a few. Is it too much of a hail-mary to | | | | heart, the Lord can spread His Word far and wide |
| believe that God wants those whom He has | | | | due to the great popularity of sports on this |
| gifted athletically to teach via their sport? | | | | planet. Now we are playing for eternal crowns not |
| Absolutely Not. Since God truly equips His | | | | earthly trophies that just collect dust and are |
| servants with the proper gifts needed to do His | | | | soon forgotten. As a follower of Christ, how could |
| good will (Hebrews 13:20-21), | | | | you not be excited about that philosophy? |
| He will not hold one of His players back from | | | | |