Ready:
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.” — 腓立比书 2:3-4
Set:
As an athlete, I always had to have that one thing. If I could just make the starting lineup. If I could just make the all-conference team. If I could just break that one record. If I could just do this, then I’ll be happy. Then I’ll have made it.
The problem with that? As soon as I accomplished that goal, there was always another one looming. Another award to chase. Another trophy to win.
For a long time, these were the types of things I chased. Records, recognitions and rewards. I got a lot of them too, but they never did what I thought they were going to do.
I thought that my identity came from being an athlete. I thought my self-worth was defined by how many games I won or how many points I scored. I was disciplined in my training, but for all the wrong reasons. I asked myself these questions: What can these awards do for me? How can I use my sport to bring recognition to myself?
But the question I should have been asking was, How can I use my sport to help others? Or more importantly, how can I use my sport to glorify God?
When you think your identity comes from a sport, you’ll always be competing for the wrong reasons. If you only go after earthly prizes, you will never be truly fulfilled. If you believe that your identity rests in those things alone, you will never be fully satisfied.
Our identity doesn’t have to come from achievement in sports. When you put your faith in Jesus, you are given a new identity in Christ as God’s child.
In knowing who Christ is, you are set free from that endless chase for glory because you are already given the greatest reward of all – a relationship with Christ. You’re given a Father who loves you because of who you are, not because of anything you have done.
You can stop chasing and rest in the everlasting and eternal love of Christ.
Go:
How have you been trying to prove yourself worthy?
How can you rest in the truth that you’re God’s child?
Take a few minutes and soak in the fact that God loves you not for what you’ve done, but for Christ has done for you.
Workout:
Overtime:
“Lord, I admit that I often look for the one thing that will finally make me satisfied. But nothing will do it except for You. Jesus came to live and die to bring me to You, and You call me Your child. Thank You that this is my identity, secure in who I am in You and not what I do. You give me all I need. Amen.”