Why Do You Compete?

Working in college athletics for nearly two decades, there was one question I heard after almost every event. “Can I see the box score?” athletes would ask, ready to boil down their performance in that game to a single line of statistics.

Sometimes, they would look at the numbers and smile. Other times, they would get upset — with themselves, their coach, their teammates or even the statistician. It can be easy for athletes to let the numbers on the scoreboard or in the box score determine their value.

But as a Christ follower, God calls you to live and compete differently, chasing after a goal far beyond the scoreboard, the stat sheet and all the everyday perks that come with competitive success. Your motivation should be greater.

Have you ever paused to look at what motivates you? As you think about that, ask yourself these three questions:

WHO do I compete for?

Are you competing to bring glory to yourself or make your family and friends proud? As a Christian, you have a unique calling to live differently from the world. So, even in competition, your purpose is to glorify God by using the gifts and talents He’s given you.

Because of God, we have hope and a future. We have life, now and forever. He is worth competing for.

WHY should I compete?

As an athlete, God created you with His own hands for a specific purpose in mind.

In every competition, practice and film or training session, you have an opportunity to glorify God and display the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ. By competing in the way He made you, you can become more like Him and show others what it looks and feels like to experience joy and peace by living for something greater than yourself.

HOW should I compete?

As an athlete, God calls you to exercise self-control, discipline and integrity. That means competing honestly, humbly and respectfully toward our teammates and opponents.

Seek to honor God in everything you do, not just in your sport, but in your attitude, actions and words. When you do that, God will give you plenty of opportunities to glorify Him and share His love with others.

When you know WHO you are competing for, it will help you understand WHY and HOW you should compete.

Perhaps it’s time to take off your former way of life and put on your new self. Because you are much more than who the box score says you are, and the One who created you for a specific purpose isn’t looking at the scoreboard.