Purpose
Bryan Brunk - collegiate wrestling coach
Ready:
“He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. We have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, in Him. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by Him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile everything to Himself by making peace through the blood of His cross—whether things on earth or things in heaven. Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds because of your evil actions. But now He has reconciled you by His physical body through His death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before Him—if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become a servant of it.” —Colossians 1:13-23
Set:
Who do you say you are and what do you think your life is for? Colossians 1 gives us a lot of insight regarding these questions. It starts with verse 16 which can be summarized that all things were created by Jesus, through Jesus and for Jesus. Christ is central to this passage in Colossians and before you start to think about what this means toward your own purpose, you need to first make sure that Jesus Christ is at the very center of your life.
One thing I hear a lot of wrestlers say at the beginning of their season is that they want to make a name for themselves. When I hear that statement, I always shudder. I coach at a Christian college and for the Christian athlete, making a name for oneself is the antithesis of our purpose. Instead, I want to challenge every wrestler to find a way to make much of the name of Jesus Christ. After all, if He is at the center of my life, then He should be at the center of my wrestling.
The first chapter of Colossians tells me a few things about my identity that are tied to my purpose. In verses 13-14 it says that I am rescued, loved, redeemed and forgiven. As part of creation, verse 16 tells me that I am created by Him and for Him. All of my value is already achieved in my identity in Jesus Christ. It’s my defining feature. If this is true, how then does it affect my approach to wrestling and even more my understanding of my purpose in wrestling (and anything else for that matter)? I think it’s found in verses 22-23. My purpose is to be presented to God as a holy, faultless offering and by unwaveringly making much of His name to proclaim the Gospel to all creation through both word and action.
So, what does that look like in and around a wrestling match? First of all, if I align my identity and purpose with who I am in Christ, then I can be free to give my very best without fear or worry of what others may think of the results. In other words, a Christian wrestler should compete with great enthusiasm and never quit. My purpose should drive how I treat my opponent, my coach, my teammates and everyone else involved - I glorify God when I practice kindness, love and self-control within the context of a wrestling match.
Finally, I can look for every opportunity to authentically point people to Jesus when I win or when I lose. My celebrations should be a little different and my disappointments should be as well.
Go:
Who do you say you are? What has been your purpose in life and wrestling?
Who does God say you are? How should this affect your approach to wrestling?
Workout:
Overtime:
"God, forgive me for the times that I have made my purpose self-serving and self-glorifying. Help me to align my heart with what you say about who I am and why I am here. Show me where I can represent You well, work for Your kingdom and glorify Your name in word and action. I love You, Jesus. Amen.”