Sharing Your Faith With Your Team

When you hear that Christians are to share their faith with others, what sort of feelings and emotions arise within you? You may feel a rush of nervousness, fear, excitement, anticipation or even guilt. All these things are normal. However, living in the freedom that comes from knowing Christ and sharing this freedom with others can be challenging. It can feel intimidating and tough to know where to start.

As a coach or athlete, you have numerous opportunities to share the love of Jesus with your teammates by how you play, lead, respond to wins and losses, and interact with your team. It's the small things that set you apart and cause people to wonder what makes you different.

So, where do you start?

Know Your Freedom

"You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." -John 8:32

Sometimes we can quickly forget our freedom in knowing Jesus as our Savior. We can get caught up in the grind of the day-to-day and forget to pause and remember what a gift it is to be known and be loved by the Savior of the world. If you know Jesus, you have been set free by His truth. But only some know this truth, and only some know what it means to be truly free.

Without freedom in Christ, the highs and lows of life hit differently. Coaches and athletes who aren't yet competing with a greater purpose may experience burnout from the constant striving and believing that who they are is measured by what they do or accomplish.

There is freedom available to them. But, they may need a friend or teammate to help them experience the only truth that can set them free from striving and help them compete for something more.

Ways to share the freedom you have in Christ:

• Being joyful, despite circumstances.
• Endurance through trials you face.
• Being free from the pressures to succeed.
• Loving and encouraging them with God's truth.

Know Your Influence

“Jesus spoke to them again: ‘I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.’" -John 8:12

Just as Jesus is the light of the world, we are to shine our light so others may see God's good work in us (Matthew 5:16). It's up to us to live in a way that glorifies God and allows others to see more of His love, grace, kindness and faithfulness. In ALL we do, we should do it for God's glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). How you treat people, respond to disappointment and lead your team matters. Misplaced hope shatters us in the face of disappointment. But, when we place our hope in Jesus, we are not shaken by the things of this world because Christ is our foundation.

This unshakeable hope, unending joy and the ability to not be derailed by the things of this world is what sets us apart as Jesus' followers and what sets you apart on your team.

When you choose to follow Jesus, you are on mission with Him and called to use your influence to share the truth and message of the Gospel. Your teammates and players need to hear this truth. This truth can be shared over time in how you live, lead and love your team and others.

Don't believe the lie that you can't make a difference, and don't say no to Jesus for someone else! Instead, recognize your influence and be confident you can make a difference where God has called you.

See the Bigger Picture

One day, you'll take the field, court, track or arena for the last time. The position and influence you have right now are short-lived compared to the bigger picture. But, you have the opportunity right here to be a light, to love like Jesus and bring others closer to the ONLY truth that can set them free.

Think about these questions:

• In what ways can you use more of your influence?
• How can you show others more of Christ's love today?
• Who can you invite to church or an FCA Huddle?

There's no perfect way to share your faith with your team, but understanding the freedom, influence and gift you have in Christ can lay a foundation for Gospel conversations to take place. If you're ready to share the Gospel with a teammate, player or friend but aren't sure where to start, check out FCA's resource The FOUR.

Prayer:

Lord, help us recognize opportunities we have to show others more of who you are and use our influence to share the love of Christ. Thank You for Your grace and for the gift we have in knowing Jesus as our Savior. Help us not to be fearful or hold back this gift from others. People need this hope and are desperate to live for something more. Give us the confidence we need to boldly live out our faith, so that more may see you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.