The World's Way or God's Way

An unfortunate side effect of being fallen, sinful people is the desire to succeed by any means possible. Over the years, there have been many doping scandals in sports. Major League Baseball, Track and Field, and Cycling are some highly popular sports that have seen athletes banned for performance-enhancing drugs. We play sports because we love them, and at that level, you can get rich doing it. But is it worth your integrity?

When Daniel and his friends were exiled to Babylon, their integrity was challenged. As they served in the king’s court, they were allotted the king’s food, meat, and wine, but “Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine he drank.” (Daniel 1:8) So, he made a deal with the officials to eat nothing but vegetables and water for 10 days and to let his and his friends’ appearance speak for itself.

After 10 days, Daniel and his friends were stronger and healthier than their counterparts who ate the king’s rations. These young men wanted to honor the Lord and His laws, even when faced with an easier path. There is a desire to excel and succeed in sports, but there is a right and a wrong way to do that.

As you walk with Christ, let Him be your guide and strength when others tempt you with worldly means and goals. God sent His Son to die for us. Let us glorify Him by living for Him in all we do.