Remember what we said earlier about God’s glory being displayed in Jesus Christ? Well here is something that should blow our minds. Scripture says that Jesus, even though he was God, “made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:7).
Athletes, this is your example to follow. Whether you’re the star player or the ball boy, team captain or the last substitute, you can glorify God by finding ways to serve others. Here are some ideas:
- Encourage your teammates. If you’re looking to serve your teammates, you’ll want to see them improve and succeed. Notice your teammates’ contributions—including the ones that don’t show up on the stat sheet—and thank them. And when your teammate botches a play, help him improve without insulting him for the error.
- Put the team’s interest ahead of your own. Whenever you set aside personal preferences for the good of the team, that’s serving. This may mean playing a position the coach has decided is best for the team, even if it’s not the position you want. Sometimes it may mean not playing at all. It means playing defense as passionately and diligently as you play offense. It means passing the ball instead of hogging it. It means asking the coach, “How can I best serve this team?”
Let’s be servant-hearted athletes.
Enjoying Don’t Waste Your Sports? Get more:
Buy the booklet.
Hear the sermon.
Other posts in this series:
- Sports At Their Best—And Worst
- What Are Sports Really For?
- Meeting God Before the Opening Tip
- Play to the Glory of God
- The Grateful Athlete
- The Humble Athlete
- The Servant Athlete
- Sports Idols
- Your Next Game
- Application Questions for Athletes
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