As the Israelites are on the verge of entering the promised land, Moses utters these words to them (from Deuteronomy 6:4-9):
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
It’s as if Moses is saying to his people, “As you live your life and go about your day-to-day activities, tell the story of what God has done. And live in the light of that story.” No part of life is too small or too insignificant to not invite God in.
So, what does this have to do with sports? Everything. We tend to compartmentalize in our lives. Things become “sacred” and “secular” but this is not what God desires. He desires that we do everything for His glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). We need to constantly remember the story and be shaped by the story.
It sounds simple but it’s hard to live. If you understand the story of the Israelites, you know that they often struggled with putting God at the center. They either put themselves at the center of their lives or settled for idolatry. This is why Moses had to encourage them to remind themselves of what God has done and is doing in their lives.
Like the Israelites, we put ourselves at the center of our lives. For many people, this can be most clearly seen in their pursuit of sports. So, for everyone who struggles with pride and idolatry in their pursuit of sports, I would encourage you to take the advice of the above verse. Love God with all your heart, soul and might. Keep his commands–keep the gospel–at the center of your life. When the gospel is at the center, it transforms the way we play, coach, and spectate sports.
P.S. If you want to learn more about how to do this as a coach with your kids, I would recommend you watch the following video of Bob Schindler discussing what 3D Devotionals are.
