Sweaty Worship

In the midst of a workout, athletes need to be intensely focused on the task at hand. Sometimes, it can be difficult to focus on God when we are in the heat of a game. Often, I find myself losing focus of God and channeling all my thoughts and effort toward my performance. At the end of games or practices, sometimes I feel guilty for not giving God the glory He deserves and instead focusing on my personal performance.

God has blessed each and every one of us with certain talents and gifts that He desires for us to use to glorify Him. Worshipping God should not only take place at church on Sunday morning. We can use the athletic talents God has given us to bring him glory and praise on the field.

By focusing our attention and efforts on God throughout our workouts, it’s easier to remember that we are playing for an audience of one.  When we can compete with an understanding that our hard work is viewed as worship in God’s eyes, the drudgery of workouts suddenly becomes more enjoyable.

Just as it takes time to train physically to become a great competitor, it will take time to train your mind to view your performance as worship. Don’t be discouraged if you find it difficult to focus on God all the time -- it takes practice!