“Live as people who are free…”
READ
1 Peter 2:16-25
REFLECT
There is a winner and a loser on the scoreboard of every hard-fought competition. As Christians, we know we are not immune to losing. In fact, we are promised real difficulties in this life if we confess the name of Christ (2 Timothy 3:12). But, how can our relationship with Christ help us handle defeat?
One way to handle defeat is to act as though it doesn’t matter. This is the attitude that says, “Oh, there are bigger things in life than sports and fitness? It’s no big deal.” But, is this the attitude of a champion? Does this honor Christ? Certainly, we should put things in proper perspective, but shouldn’t we be passionate about everything we do? The Bible tells us, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.” (Ecclesiastes (9:10) One of God’s greatest gifts is the opportunity to work hard.
Christ set us free through what He accomplished in His death and resurrection. This means the scoreboards in life are not what define our success. If we lose, we are able to walk out of the gym, or off the field, knowing we are valued by our God no matter what the scoreboard says.
But, our freedom in Christ also motivates us to compete. The gospel says our competitions do matter, because everything we do in life has the opportunity to glorify God. Since we are free in Christ, we are able to compete with passion while we ignore the scoreboard.
“Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)
RESPOND
1 – How do you handle losing? What are your most difficult circumstances to experience defeat?
2 – How does the gospel of Christ help you handle defeat?
3 – How does the gospel motivate you to train harder, or compete with more passion?
Faith Workout: Free to Compete
