When we think of idol worship, we may think more about statues and golden calves than sports and athletes. If you do, take 90 seconds and watch this thought provoking video.
Sports are a gift from God. However, like so many of God’s gifts, we have turned them into something we serve rather than s
erves us. This is so true of sports. Rather than received with gratitude and used to glorify God, sports have become a place for us to display our glory to the worship of adoring fans. The wonderful gift of sports have been so corrupted by the fall and our sin that sports arenas, some would argue, have become the “temples of our day.”
What are we to do with such thoughts? Should we distance ourselves from sports and get involved in more “spiritual” things? Or should we just go along with the crowds that flock to watch and play mindlessly unaware of what is really going on?
Neither. We need to move into this realm and redeem sports. We need to have a passion to see this glory that is so lavishly heaped on athletes given rather to God.
That requires changed hearts. Hearts that have been turned from hard, cold, dead hearts of stone to warm, alive, tender hearts of flesh. This is what the Gospel does for us. It makes us new and gives us new hearts (See Ezekiel 36:22-27) Hearts that beat for God’s glory not ours. Hearts that find glorifying God so much more satisfying than glorifying ourselves. Hearts that long to see sports redeemed, the idolatry of sports turned into the worship of God.
If your heart beats for such a movement, join us. Pray for such a work of God and move into the realm of sports, for we long not for sports to be eliminated but for sports to be redeemed!!!!!!
(For more on how to get involved in redeeming sports, check out For the Love of the Game – a call for the redemption of sports. This 3 part video series will further inspire and equip you to join this movement of God. Also you may want to take a look at this blog to help you see the extent that your sports might be idol worship – How do you know when sports are an idol?)
