Game Day and God’s Glory
October 15th, 2008
(By Nathan Williams)
Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave for many years you understand how important athletic competition is to our culture. I can’t even begin to count how many hours I spent during the first 18 years of my life playing or watching sports. My dad was the athletic director at my school and the varsity basketball coach. When my brother and I weren’t playing basketball, we were probably playing soccer or baseball. If for some reason we weren’t participating in a sporting event, it’s no doubt because we were watching it live or on television.
I’m pretty sure my experience was not abnormal. Our society is consumed with sports. Parents push their kids to reach the limit of their athletic potential and children dream about one day being professional athletes.
With so much emphasis in the broader culture given to sports, it’s amazing that Christians haven’t given more time and effort to discussing the place of athletics in the life of the believer. That’s why I am so thankful for Stephen Altrogge’s book Game Day for the Glory of God.
In this book, Altrogge guides the reader through a number of biblical principles that directly apply to sports. He helps us to think biblically about athletics and not to simply adopt the mindset of the culture. As he discusses these principles he provides powerful examples from the world of professional sports and takes the reader into his own struggle to think biblically about athletics.
As I read this book I found myself consistently thinking how valuable it would have been for me and a host of other young people who consistently failed to honor God with the way we played sports. Early on, Altrogge reminds the reader that God genuinely cares about the way we play sports. God cares when we play with humility and kindness. It honors Him when we reflect Christ on the court or the field. It also glorifies Him when we play hard. God isn’t pleased by a lazy athlete.
Altrogge helps the reader understand that God is the source of all talent and physical ability. From the Super Bowl to the backyard Thanksgiving football game, sporting events are filled with pride over self-accomplishments. Pride and athletic accomplishment are so intertwined in our society that it may even be difficult for some readers to understand how one can play sports without an arrogant, all-about-me attitude. Of course, it is possible to play sports to the glory of God and only then will Christians truly enjoy the abilities God has given them.
I would certainly recommend Game Day for the Glory of God to Christian athletes, but would also challenge coaches to read it with their teams. The coach of a team sets the tone for the attitude of the team. With the proper perspective on the season and what God wants to accomplish through the players, a coach can dramatically impact his players for Christ.
This book should also be required reading for every parent whose child will participate in sports at any level. Many times parents are worse sinners when it comes to sports than their children. At the end of this book there is a chapter written by C. J. Mahaney on fathers, sons, and sports. It is an excellent look at how C. J. walks his son through thinking biblically about both playing and watching sports.
Overall, Game Day for the Glory of God is a concise and helpful read that will inform your thinking from Scripture on this crucial but rarely addressed topic.
I was a football mom all through highschool and college with our oldest son and now he is a history teacher and football coach. I will be getting him this book for Christmas. He is a godly man, very active in Fellowship of Christian Athletes a very good example to the kids, I am sure he will appreciate this book, thanks for the recommendation.
We all can easily work with gaining a Christian ethic in sports like soccer, football, baseball and basketball, but what about wrestling, boxing and Mixed Martial Arts?
While I’ve enjoyed participating in all three at different times in my life, and been able to shake the hand of my opponent and share a friendly hug after almost every competition, I’ve found a wrinkle which goes beyond the thought of merely the violence issue. (Though football is violent as well.)
It’s the lone athlete aspect. “I” won. “I” defeated. “I” am greater. Though there are some humble athletes in each of these sports that’s still the end result. Ironically, they share this problem with a most unlikely bedfellow in tennis! It’s the same concept in that despite having teams to train with, the final result is a one person victory/loss.
I did NOT expect your post to make me think so much!
I’m excited to look at this book. As a Christian athlete for many years, my family and I struggled with the accessibility and validity of the secular sports world to the Christian.
SPORT POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES
Sports brings many positive traits, such as self-discipline, character growth, teamplay etc, which are very positive reflection of biblical traits, which Christians are to foster.
However, the environment of the locker room is frequently very crass and temptation to arrogance easy to come by. Since this reflects the broader world we live in, this should be part of parental equipping etc.
SPORT CONFLICTS
But my primary concern is the role sports play in our time, passions and opportunities. There are typically Sunday conflicts, practices prevent participation in church ‘youth’ activities.
Many would propose Christians simply drop competitive sports, because of these difficulties. As I look now to my own children, I think about my own experience. How we made an effort of spiritual faithfulness, yet frequently were “guests” in other cities on Sunday, and visit different churches than our home church. How from time to time, we turned down sports opportunities to pursue discipleship or ministry opportunities.
The balance of idolatry and legalism begs the question to many of these things. The Church typically responds by “shunning” sports, or by simply embracing them, and making the life of faith “second class”.
Mark,
Matt Hughes is a Christian Mixed Matial Artist. Heres the link http://www.matt-hughes.com/blog/matt-hughes-biography-testimony. There is always room for Christ in every man’s heart.
Dean
Hey Nathan!
Thanks for your kind review!
Thank you for this review. I will look forward to reading this and consider it as a gift to many coaches.
I, too, am involved with Athletics, but doing computer support for Athletics in a State University. Recognizing our being created in the image of God, but now being fallen in our sinful rebellion, those who have been redeemed by Christ need to assess our gifts and abilities and use them to the Glory of the God. Whether an athlete or computer support person, we can all work “from the heart as for the Lord, rather than for men”.
I get cautious, however, because there is a perception by many, that because we are Christian, God will now bless us with “success” (wins, etc.). In the end, it is Christ Who says “Well done, thou good and FAITHFUL servant” (emphasis mine). Success is never the goal, just the adoring service to the One Who loved us and gave Himself for us.
Again, thank you for the review and I look forward to reading the book!