Lose Hypocrisy
“For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things.” – Romans 2:1b
Many have gone on record to say that for being a superstar, Larry Bird was one of the hardest-working basketball players of his era. He was often seen shooting or running laps after practice.
In working as hard as he did, when Bird had to call out teammates for not working hard or pulling their weight, he proved it by putting in the work himself. Because of how good he was, he didn’t have to do the extra work. But he did it to lead by example.
The lesson here is to not have a hypocritical attitude in or outside sports. If Larry Bird called out his teammates for not working hard when he wasn’t either, that would have been a bad message to send the team.
Our walk with Jesus is the same. In Romans 1, Paul listed a bunch of bad attitudes and descriptive words: proud, envy, greed and gossip, to name a few. In Chapter 2, he warned the Roman Jewish Christians about judging others because some of them also were guilty.
When it comes to your teammates, kick judgment out of the picture. No matter what your spot is on the team, put in the work needed to improve and encourage your teammates to do so, as well. Being judgmental could damage the relationships on the team. When it comes to siblings in Christ, come alongside and encourage them. That might make a difference.
- If a teammate called you out for not working hard but wasn’t themselves, how would that make you feel?
- What can you do to ensure you won’t harbor a hypocritical heart in sports? In walking with Jesus?
“Father, the last thing I want to be in sports or life is a hypocrite. Please show me areas in my life that need work, and please help me to honor You even more. In His name, I pray. Amen.”
