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Ask any athlete or former athlete why they said yes to playing their sport. The responses will range from “Because I loved it,” “There was nothing else like it,” or “It was so good.”

However, there will never be a response of “because it was safe.” Athletes do not play sports because they are safe. Athletes are not even promised safety. Athletes play sports because they love the game, and the game is good.

In a beloved book called “Chronicles of Narnia,” there is a moment when a child named Susan finds out Aslan is the great Lion. This children’s book is a metaphor where God is depicted as Aslan the Lion. After discovering this truth, Susan asks Mr. Beaver, “Is he safe?” Mr. Beaver replies, “Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he is good.”

As Christians, this is a hard concept to grasp – God isn’t safe, but He is good. When we read the Bible, we are never promised safety. The Bible speaks of how God is always with us, has great plans for us, and forgives and loves us. However, no verse says, “You are promised a safe life.”

So, why should we follow a God who isn’t safe? Why should we give our lives to Him, pray to Him and obey Him? It is the same in our sports. If sports aren’t safe, why should we commit ourselves to practice, give our all to the game, or devote our trust and effort to our team? The answer is the same for God: because we love it, and it is good.

God and sports have this in common: not safe, but good. We follow God and play our sport, not because we are promised safety, but because we love both and both are good.