WARM-UP
Receiving glory in the form of honor, praise, admiration, or rewards will naturally happen throughout your athletic career. But it’s when you find yourself chasing glory that it becomes a problem. It puts you out of balance with God’s plan, which is for you to give Him all the glory for what He has done for you and through you.
WORKOUT
Making A Name
Everything was perfect in the Garden of Eden until the day Satan tempted Adam and Eve to sin against God. Satan used pride to trick them into believing they deserved something that was never intended for them. Since then, every human on this planet has been born with a sinful nature that only Jesus can replace.
Not quite 2,000 years later (and about 100 years after the Great Flood), the small but growing world population decided it was as powerful and mighty as the Creator. Found in Genesis 11, this story shows just how dangerous chasing glory can be.
And they said, “Come let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky. Let’s make a name for ourselves.” (v. 4)
But God had something else in mind.
“Come, let’s go down there and confuse their language so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” So from there, the Lord scattered them throughout the earth, and they stopped building the city.” (vv. 7-8)
The tower was never finished and the city would become known as Babylon. It’s a story that reminds us of the pointlessness of chasing glory that belongs to God.
Chasing My Glory
Like Adam and Eve in the garden and the people of Babylon, you too can find yourself chasing glory in the form of popularity, awards, records, scholarships, or even Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals, and professional contracts.
It’s that sinful nature that tries to compel you towards pride, selfishness, struggles with identity and self-worth, idolatry, and attempting to claim God’s glory for yourself.
But God didn’t create you to handle the weight of His glory. Instead, He created you to give Him the glory and have peace knowing that Jesus is perfectly sufficient for every aspect of your life.
Q: What are some ways that you find yourself chasing glory as an athlete?
Q: How fulfilling is it when you are successful in your pursuits and how long does that feeling usually last?
WRAP-UP
The first step towards true peace and fulfillment is acknowledging that you are chasing after something that God never intended for you. As you step away from the sin of pride and move closer to Him, it’s important to remember that:
• Chasing My Glory is a vain pursuit. It won’t fulfill you and it won’t bring you closer to God.
As you better understand the nature of God’s glory, you will start to move from chasing your glory to reflecting His glory.
Key Action
Take some time to reflect on the things you have been chasing as an athlete. Sincerely ask yourself what is motivating you to pursue these things and where God fits into your plans.
Challenge/Truth Callout
“I’m tempted to chase my own glory because I don’t understand my true identity and purpose.”
Truth: God lovingly created you for His glory and for a great purpose