How Do You Glorify God in Sport?

“The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” –John 12:25 

One of my all-time favorite movies is Chariots of Fire. I remember watching this as a young adult and being deeply impacted by the story of Eric Liddell. The movie is based on the true story of two British athletes who won gold medals in the 1924 Olympics. The motivation to run and compete for both star athletes, however, was different. Eric Liddell, a devout Christian, ran for the glory of God and the love of running while Harold Abraham, a Jew, ran to overcome prejudice and anti-Semitism. 

Shortly after winning the Olympic gold medal for Britain in the 400m, Liddell went to China as a missionary and died imprisoned there for his Christian faith. He was clear that the purpose of his life was to put God first and bring Him glory. 

I am reminded of the verse in John 12 where Jesus talks about commitment to God being so central to who we are, that our striving for advantage, glory and pleasure goes away:   

“The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” --John 12:25 

The why is important. I think Eric Liddell’s why captures it simply and profoundly: 

“I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast and when I run, I feel His pleasure.” 

When we do everything motivated by our love for God and feel the pleasure of what we are born to do, whether we are playing a sport, coaching players or ministering to athletes, we bring God glory. 

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” –1 Corinthians 10:31 

The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthian church takes it a notch higher when he says to glorify God in everything we do. That means not only in the important things, but even in the mundane things like eating and drinking. 

If we learn in the small things and daily moments to keep God at the center, then in the big moments of sporting success, it will be about God and not about us. 

How do we apply this concept of glorifying God to competing? 

Here are three simple truths to ensure the glory goes to God:

1. Keep It Centered—always put God at the center. 

“For from Him and through Him 

and to Him are all things. 

To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” –Romans 11:36 

If we pause to consider where our athletic skills come from, we know it is from God. He has given us our ability, talent and opportunity to shine or be an influencer for Him. When we are tempted to take all the glory in success or deflect the blame in failure, we have shifted the center from God to us. 

God wants us to shine, to do things with excellence, to win even when we lose because it is not about us. When we perform brilliantly, God gets the glory; when we don’t succeed but lose graciously, God still gets the glory. Mathew 5:16 says to let our light shine so others may see the good and give glory to our Father. 

Not only do I glorify God when I perform to the best of my ability and give it my all, but through what I do, others will begin to see and glorify Him as well. 

2. Keep It 100—no faking or pretense. 

In the quest for glory and fame, many athletes have compromised values and standards and thrown away great talent, while sometimes even destroying their careers and families. It is never worth it to fake it. Facing the facts helps us ground the realities around us and shift the focus to God. Romans 4:19 talks about Abraham and his faith in the face of the facts, but it focuses on the hope Abraham exhibited in his action of belief. 

“He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body to be already dead (since he was about a hundred years old) and also the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, because he was fully convinced that what God had promised, He was also able to do.” –Romans 4:19 

The facts may not always appear positive or helpful, but God’s promise and His presence always will. When an injury threatens to cut short a promising career or when you sit out on the bench for the entire season, you can still bring God glory by speaking and acting through your circumstances in ways that will honor Him. 

3. Keep It Clear—focus. 

Ability and opportunity are gifts from God. We did nothing to earn them, and we cannot boast about them, but they create chances to step up and step out in our faith. 

“For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn’t receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn’t received it?” –1 Corinthians 4:7 

When we allow the gift of sport to become our all-consuming passion, we derive our identity from it. The danger is that when we begin to idolize the very gift God gave us to bring glory to Him and own it as if we earned it, we become enslaved to it. We must seek to shine the spotlight on God and His greatness, not our own. While it’s important to give our best effort for every game, it’s more important to be a representative of God every time we step onto the field. 

Our identity is first and foremost who we are in Christ. This frees us to play our best and leave the outcome of winning or losing to Him. The real and lasting result is not reflected on the scoreboard but in how well our thoughts, words and actions showcase the Father.