If someone ran up to you and asked, “Who is the best athlete of all time?”, what would you say? To save you some thought, I googled, “Top 10 Greatest Athletes of All Time”. The list includes names like Messi, Babe Ruth, and coming in first place was Michael Jordan. Even if you don’t think Michael Jordan is the greatest athlete of all time, you can probably agree that Michael Jordan is considered a great athlete for more than one reason.
What makes him a great athlete? Is it the countless awards he has won? Is it the fact that he played professional basketball and professional baseball? Is it because of the legacy he created for himself on and off the court? The list could go on and on to why Michael Jordan is considered great, but what you may not know is he wasn’t always considered great. Did you know that Michael Jordan didn’t make the varsity team in high school until his junior year? Even as he entered into his freshman year at UNC to play basketball, coaches said that he was inconsistent. The thing that set Michael Jordan apart at an early age wasn’t natural skill or height, but it was his work ethic. He had an ambition to be the best and was dedicated and determined to work harder than anyone else to get there.
1 Corinthians 9:25 says, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”
To give you a little context to this verse, let’s break it down! The author of 1 Corinthians was Paul, and 1 Corinthians is a letter! Paul, commonly known as the Apostle Paul, was a Christian apostle who spread the teachings of Jesus. In this letter, he is writing to the Christian Church in Corinth, which was an ancient Roman and Greek city in Southern Greece. Greece was famous for holding large festivals of competition, including one we are all familiar with, the Olympics Games. Though the Olympics originated in Olympia, the Isthmian Games, which came second in popularity of games were held in Corinth bi-annually. Paul knew his audience was all too familiar with competition so he decided to compare living as a servant to Christ to athletic competition.
In Paul’s letter, he was urging the Christians in Corinth to do what it takes to win. During the Isthmian games, the winners of the competitions would be crowned with a wreath made of pine. Paul emphasizes that this wreath will not last, but the crown we receive in heaven is eternal! This was not to say we should compete against our brothers and sisters in Christ, or that only one Christian can or will be crowned. He was just expressing that as Christians we should live to glorify God with the same effort and dedication exhibited by these ancient Greek athletes.
Try and picture Michael Jordan as that sophomore in high school with a big dream to be great. He didn’t allow rejection or outside opinions to get the best of him. Each day, not just on a game day, he woke up and he gave it his all. He wanted to be great, so he trained like he already was.
So what if we woke up with that same dedication, but instead of being dedicated to winning our next game or race, getting that certain grade on a test, or having that certain career, we were dedicated to helping more people experience the love of Jesus? What if we wanted to be great at it?
As Kingdom Athletes, you are ambassadors of who Christ is to you. So who is Jesus Christ to you? What has he done for you?
He has given you hope and everlasting joy! Jesus died on the cross so that we would get to have a life in relationship with God. No matter who you are or what you have done, when you allow Jesus into your heart, you are made new, you are forgiven, and you are loved! The gospel is the best news we could ever hear, so why not live like we just heard it? Scream the good news from the rooftops!!
If there are no rooftops to scream from, here are some simple ways you can train today like you just heard the good news:
Physical Activity!
Why should you exercise? Why should you eat food that nourishes and fuels your body? Why should you drink enough water? Because you want to treat your body like the temples that they are by giving yourself the gift of living healthy.
Community!
Surround yourself with teammates, aka other Christians, who push you to be a better version of yourself.
Spiritual!
This is the most important thing you can do for yourself. Spend time learning from your coach, your creator, God! Whether it’s a 15-minute devotional, worship, or spending time reading God’s word, we are made to be in a relationship with Him!
There are an unlimited amount of ways to bring glory to God, so what are you waiting for? Live your life like you just heard the good news!
Train today like no one else. Train today like a Kingdom Athlete.
