Olympic athletes are the cream of the crop. God gave them athletic ability far beyond what most of us will ever know. They train hard, for years. And over the past couple of weeks, we all witnessed them perform under unthinkable pressure, reaping the benefits of dedicating most of their lives to excellence in competitive sport.
But just because we aren’t Olympic athletes doesn’t mean we can’t also chase excellence. God has given every single athlete, every single person, unique gifts. It’s up to us to protect, nurture and grow them. It’s the only appropriate response to God’s greatest gift to us: salvation.
In Romans 12, Paul writes,
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
What makes being a Christian athlete uniquely challenging, though, is that excellence isn’t solely about the results of our athletic competitions. As Christians, we’re called to take a larger view of excellence. End results still matter, but that is only part of the equation. That’s why I like the phrase “chasing excellence.” It reminds us that how we go about achieving great things is just as important as if we achieve great things. Our “how” must include Christ-centered relationships with teammates and coaches, integrity in the way we play, and a deep respect for our competitors. This is true excellence.
I’ve been involved in organized sports my whole life. I’ve worked about every job in or around athletics that you can work. Now, I have the honor of overseeing athletics for Calvin University. Over my life, I’ve seen God use sports for all kinds of ends.
I’ve seen him use sports, coaches, games and teams to bring students to Christ. I’ve seen him use athletics to build my own daughters into loving, mature, accomplished young women. I’ve seen our coaches hand-craft weekly devotionals for their teams, and watched them become steady, loving presences for students suffering grief or hardship.
That’s part of why success and excellence aren’t the same thing. In fact, in many ways, success can destroy you. But placing your faith at the heart of your pursuit of excellence protects you from this sort of destruction. It keeps your talent in perspective.
Chasing true excellence in athletics is undoubtedly a path to deep, long-term flourishing. Sports build relationships. They build stronger, more adaptable individuals. They give athletes the chance to make hard decisions and confront difficult situations—like loss, victory, injury or personal disappointment—in a safe way. They give athletes a chance to make the wrong decision and learn to do better next time.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that championships don’t matter. They do. But having a God-sized view of excellence allows us to cultivate the fruit of the spirit in our lives as we work to win.
