Sacrifice
Coach Dave Crowell
Ready:
“No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” -John 15:13
Set:
Sacrifice is simply defined as “the act of surrendering something valuable for the sake of something else considered more important.” This accurately describes what every committed athlete does to for their dreams and goals to be fulfilled. Athletes must sacrifice physical comfort, a life of ease and pleasure, social interactions and their time. More specifically, the athlete must often prioritize need over want regarding sleep, nutrition, strength and endurance training, as well as skill development. This takes a great deal of personal sacrifice. Sacrifice is a necessary foundation of the athletic life.
Yet as great as it may appear for one to sacrifice personal comfort for their own athletic achievement, there are other factors to consider. For example, there is a higher plane upon which the Christian athlete should live than simply thinking of himself/herself. More significant than being a great athlete is being a great TEAMMATE! This is a Biblical principle that applies to sports. “Loving others” is a theme found throughout the Bible. A perfect example of this would be found in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” Philippians 2:3 tells us, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death at Calvary is the ultimate example of doing something for the benefit of others.
One final thought in this regard is to consider carefully what it is that you are willing to sacrifice. A common question is this: Would you rather be good or great? The answer that is sought is obvious since the inference is that being great is a higher level of achievement than being “only” good. But, something I heard many years ago should give us pause: NEVER sacrifice GOOD in order to be great!
If we return to the definition of sacrifice, it is critical that we determine what is most important in our life. If it is only athletic success, choices may easily be made that are not “good.” When we choose to sacrifice “good” for immediate earthly success, the results are often shallow and fall short of what we ultimately are hoping to achieve. The greatest goal should be this: Goodness AND greatness – with no sacrifice of one for the other! In this way we honor our Lord and Savior in all that we do…and the way that we do it!
Go:
What are some of the biggest sacrifices you have made for your sport?
Have you ever sacrificed good to be great? Explain.
How can you be both good and great?
Workout:
Overtime:
“Lord, wrestling is full of sacrifices. Guide me as I follow You and strive to be a great wrestler. Help me to never sacrifice goodness in order to be great. Help me to be a great teammate. Thank you for Your sacrifice on the cross and for salvation. In Jesus’ name, amen.”