I have been a Braves’ fan since I was 8 years old. I was at the game when Hank Aaron hit his 715th homerun to break Babe Ruth’s record. I could go on about other games I have been to. Obviously, I was extremely disappointed to watch the Braves loose Game 7 of the National League Division Series last night. But here are some lessons from it:
1. A sports’ event is temporal and not eternal. Thinking about what is eternal (i.e., last forever) vs. what is temporal (i.e., does not last forever) has been a huge game-changer for me in life. In our walk with God, we need to focus on what is eternal and not what is temporal. Eternal perspective puts earthly affairs into proper perspective.
2. Don’t listen to or read the critics on social media or the news. I am tempted to go down the trail of reading articles or viewing social media posts about the game. I am sure they will critique every mistake made, and it would likely pull me right in. That is a trap and would only lead to expending unnecessary emotion and time on that today. I will resist. It is like the lies that Satan tries to bring against us in our walk with God. As the “accuser of the brethren” (Rev. 12:10), Satan loves to bring up our past sins and present flaws. We must “take every thought captive” (2 Cor. 10:4-5), resist his lies, and claim our righteousness in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21).
3. I need to get my joy from God and not from worldly things. There is nothing wrong with enjoying a sports’ event, but if my team loosing takes away my joy, then I am allowing it a larger place in my life than God would want. I need to get my joy from who God is and who I am in Him, and not allow a game like this to take that away, even for one day! God doesn’t change (i.e., immutable), and is consistent every hour or every day (i.e., faithful).
4. I need to remember what the players are going through today and pray for them. Yes, I can pray for professional athletes and make a difference. Pray for those who are not saved, to come to Christ through this loss. Pray for those who are saved, to have a loving and bold witness through the loss. I have worked with a number of athletes at the University of Georgia, and this has given me a deeper appreciation for the hard work they put into their sport, and also how much their light can shine to others after a loss. It is easy to praise God when you win, but after a disappointment one’s light can often shine even brighter.
5. Forget what lies behind and reach for what lies ahead. It is easy to live in the past. It is tempting to bring up all the times the Braves have lost in October. For some, this just might mean that give up on the Braves entirely. In life, we can allow our past or present “loses” make us “throw in the towel.” God does not want us to do that. Where sin abounds, grace abounds even more (Rom. 5-6). God’s mercies are new every morning, great is His faithfulness (Lam. 3:23-25). With Jesus, today is the first day of the rest of our life.
The Apostle Paul used running a race and boxing (1 Cor. 9:24-27) to teach spiritual and eternal truths. Therefore, we can learn many biblical truths through things like sports. I would love to hear your comments about this.
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