Ready: “I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh.” — Galatians 5:16
Set: There’s a rhythm in every sport — the bounce of a basketball, the wind-up of a pitcher, and the synchronization of a team breaking away down a field. Coaches emphasize the need to stay in step with the rest of your training, the set strategies, and even with each other. Each player has a role to execute and a rhythm to follow. If there is one player who goes rogue and plays for themselves, the rhythm ceases to exist. Everything falls apart. The player is thrust into a frustrating state of discord, and the team suffers.
Where did the flow go? The rogue player didn’t lose on a whim. It’s not so much that her desires, frustrations or the overwhelming urge to succeed had taken charge of the wheel. There are any number of ways it could happen – wanting to look good, boiling of the blood due to anger, feeling the pressure to deliver. Whatever the trigger, it steered the player off course, frustrating the entire dynamic.
The same goes for real life. Without alignment to the right source, a misstep will result in a loss of spiritual rhythm. Paul wrote in Galatians 5:16-26 that we are to “walk by the Spirit” so we don’t give in to the desires of the flesh. He lists what happens when we follow the flesh — anger, jealousy, selfishness. But then he shifts and gives us the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. He finishes with a challenge: “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
As athletes, we train to be in rhythm — physically, mentally and with our team. Spiritually, it’s the same. Staying in step with the Spirit means surrendering the urge to act on impulse, pride or pressure. It means choosing love over ego, patience over frustration and self-control over reaction. Just like in a game, staying in rhythm with the Spirit sets you up for victory — not just on the field, but in life.
Go:
What does it look like to “walk by the Spirit” in the middle of a game or competition, especially when emotions are running high?
Which fruit of the Spirit do you find the hardest to live out in your sport, and why? How could developing that fruit improve your performance or your influence as a teammate?
Workout:
Overtime: “Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me the gift of this sport and the chance to grow through it. Help me to walk in step with Your Spirit today, choosing love over pride, patience over frustration, and self-control over impulse. Strengthen me to reflect You in both how I play and how I lead. Let my life and game honor You. In Jesus’ precious name I pray, amen.”