WARM-UP
As you trust God more each day, it will show up in two areas of your life: how you manage your time and respond to others. Both are key in your desire to reflect His glory in competition and life.
WORKOUT
Reflecting His Freedom
As a competitor, it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that you don’t have enough time. You have to make space for family, school, sports, and friendships while hoping to have time for recreation and rest. It can be even more overwhelming when you include the need for prayer, Bible reading and church community.
But when you trust God, you will experience the freedom to put Him first. It’s all about living differently than what the sports culture tries to mandate and understanding that the most important thing you can do is show others who Jesus is.
Q: What are some areas of your life where time seems to be scarce?
Q: How do you think allowing God to help you reprioritize some things might help bring you the time and freedom to reflect His glory?
Reflecting His Image
One of the hardest things to do as a Christ-following competitor is reflect His character. The apostle Paul wrote a list of attributes that should be evident in the believer’s life:
Here’s how the Fruit of the Spirit might look for a competitor:
Love: having compassion for everyone including your opponents.
Joy: being content in both victory and defeat.
Peace: not stressing out in difficult situations.
Patience: remaining unbothered when things take a while.
Kindness: treating others with respect and care.
Goodness: having pure motives in your actions towards others.
Faithfulness: not giving up when things get tough.
Gentleness: not responding harshly when receiving negative feedback.
Self-control: not flying off the handle in the heat of competition.
These fruit can be hard to find in today’s world, but having them evident in your life is what it means to reflect God’s image.
Q: Which of these fruit do you find most difficult to produce as a competitor?
Q: How do you think these fruit will help you reflect His image?
WRAP-UP
When you seek to reflect God’s glory, remember that:
• Reflecting His Freedom will allow you to escape the performance trap and help you better prioritize your life and manage your time.
• Reflecting His Image will change the way you respond to others as you allow Him to produce the fruits of the Spirit within your life.
As you become more like Jesus, you will continue to move from chasing your glory to reflecting His glory.
Key Action
As a Huddle or in your quiet time, read Romans 5:1-15. Then, use Notes to write down and think about some of the benefits (peace, grace, hope, etc.) that come from your new life in Christ.