“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5 (NIV)
As a Christian, you long to honor and glorify God in everything you do, but when it comes to your sport you find it challenging bringing God into that part of your life. You are a Christian and you are an athlete, but you cannot seem to merge those two very important parts of your life together.
I will be the first to admit it is hard to combine your faith and sport together. The world we live in places such a high value on individualism and to make matters more challenging, partnering with God is something that takes place in our hearts and minds. It is not something tangible--like working together on the field with your teammates to accomplish a goal. Rather, it happens in your spirit and may not immediately bear its fruits.
Partnering with God in your sport does not happen overnight. Like any other behavior, it needs to be practiced in order to become second nature. In today’s verse, Jesus teaches of the importance of being connected to the vine on a daily basis. Without being connected to Jesus, it is hard for us to bear the fruits (or values) God calls us to live out, and thus it is nearly impossible to do things with Him.
So how do we stay connected to God and partner with Him in our sport? Remember, everyone’s relationship with God is personal to them--what works for me, may not necessarily work for you. However, the following questions will give you an opportunity to reflect as you navigate your journey with Him.
Am I connected to the vine on a daily basis? Besides being in the Word everyday, it is helpful to have constant check-ins, or prayer times, with God. This can happen at any time--during your devotionals, on your drive to school or work, or right before your practice and games. In fact, I would encourage you to check in with God several times during your day because it reconnects you to the vine. During this time, thank God for everything He has given you, ask for forgiveness for anything you have done, ask Him to show you where you are not allowing Him into your life, and invite Him to walk with you during your day. When it comes to your sport, be in constant communication with Him. Ask Him to provide you with strength, to humble your pride, to bring you joy when trials occur, and to reveal what you need to surrender. For me, I needed to let go of working hard and finding success in order to gain the approval from my coaches and teammates. My constant striving exhausted me and pushed me further away from playing my sport with God.
It took a really long time to correct this mindset, but eventually I started to notice silence. It was a peace I had never experienced before and I felt complete freedom to let loose and play the game I love. My mind was focused on God, as I relied on Him to provide me strength, courage, and joy.
What am I filling my head and heart with? Everyone has their own way of getting in the right headspace for practices and games. Some people like to get amped up and others like to feel calm. I used to love listening to all types of genres before games. However in my fifth year season, I played my worship playlist specifically having Surrounded (Fight My Battles) on repeat. The song was simple and repeated its lyrics, but the message was so powerful, “This is how I fight my battles...it may look like I’m surrounded but I’m surrounded by You.” As a result, these lyrics would be running through my head during my games. Even in some of our biggest games of the season, I felt at peace as my thoughts were on praising God. He felt so near to me and I knew He was right there playing beside me.
You may not realize it, but the things we put into our minds have a great impact on our heart (Philippians 4:8). While you do not have to listen to worship, really think about how the music you are listening to is affecting your thought patterns and your heart. Are the songs you are listening to uplifting or are you noticing it is bringing out a side of you that you do not like? If you already have a pregame playlist, then you can read a short devotional or Bible verse. Soak in God’s Word and allow it to deeply penetrate your heart. Knowing His truths before playing your sport will serve as a great reminder of who we are doing this for.
Who are you allowing to speak into your life? I was fortunate enough to play on a Christian team. I had coaches and teammates who prayed for me and spoke truth into my life. These people would celebrate my successes with me and would encourage me when I was struggling. While this was my collegiate experience, I understand what it is like to not have Christian teammates surrounding me as well. It can be really challenging and lonely. This alone can make it hard to partner with God in your sport.
If you know someone on your team who can hold you accountable to partnering with God, then I would encourage you to reach out to them. Get together to pray before and after practices and games. Be vulnerable and tell them the areas you struggle with in your sport. Allow them to give you advice on how you can partner with God and observe how they carry this out in their own life. If you do not know of any other believers on your team, reach out to someone outside of your team. I promise that you will experience so much growth when you have someone walking alongside you, encouraging you to walk with God on a daily basis.
Partnering with God is a matter of the heart and mind. It takes persistence and intentionality. We have to reorient our thought patterns so our hearts may be transformed. It requires letting go of how we have been doing things and allowing God to take control over the reigns of our lives.
Do not be discouraged if it does not immediately happen. In fact, expect it to take awhile. Like any relationship, it takes time and work. When you ask God to run alongside you while you are playing your sport, you will experience everything God desires for you. You may face trials and you may experience blessings, but know that through it all, He is right there waiting for you to reach out to HIm.
Dear Father, I am sorry for not including you in every aspect of my life, especially my sport. Right now, I ask you to come alongside me. Be the loudest voice in my heart and mind, speaking truth and love. Playing my sport is not about me. You have graciously given me the gift to play the game I love. So right now with open hands, I am giving that gift back to you. May my actions, through the blessings and trials, glorify and honor you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
