More Than Just A Game, Part 2

The Discipline of an Athlete
1 Corinthians 9:25 - 27

Work comes before play. Work comes before play. Work comes before play. Work comes...... and so it went, writing these 4 words over and over 500 times!

My dad had told me and the siblings to cut the grass and clean up the yard. We were on spring break and as soon as he left, we decided the pool looked much more exciting than yard work. Wouldn't you know it. This turned out to be the one day dad forgot something at home and had to turn around to get it.

I will never forget the look he gave as he slid the glass door to the backyard open. We knew we had been busted. The penalty for our sins...write 500 times "work comes before play."

Discipline is something you hear a lot about in the sports world. Athletes....from the pee wee leagues to the major leagues....spend time in training to get the muscles and the mind to do what they should.

In Paul's day the athlete did the same thing.

"All athletes practice strict self-control." 1 Corinthians 9:25
"I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should." 1 Corinthians 9:27

When our sports ministry says our sports are "more than just a game," we mean our games should be marked by discipline and our players should be challenged to grow in spirit, mind, and body.

Any given day you can read the sports page or watch ESPN and see the lack of discipline in sports. You can watch the local news and see the stories of parents and coaches literally fighting before or after a game.

At Christ's Church, and in any church as far as that goes, the discipline with which the game is played should be noticeably different. There should be an attitude that reflects the love of Christ evident as we play the games.

This is very counter-culture and, therefore, is not easy. Discipline never is.

"No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening--it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way." Hebrews 12:11 (NLT)

What makes discipline painful?

• It is a physical correction. Learning to do something different or new causes pain in the muscles until they are trained. From a punishment standpoint, I grew up being spanked when I disobeyed. That physical correction was painful...but it was effective in the way it was done. It was never abusive.
• It is mental correction. Who enjoys being corrected? That means we were wrong and no one likes being wrong. A person who lives a disciplined life has learned to overcome the mental struggles themselves. Others, until they learn to discipline themselves, need an outside agent to do the correcting. This is the most difficult challenge we face in our sports. We have many individuals who have not learned to discipline themselves mentally and it spews out of their mouth.
• It is a spiritual correction. "As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Whoever heard of a child who was never disciplined? If God doesn't discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children after all." Hebrews 12:7-8 (NLT)

To say our games should be marked with more discipline is to say...

• the physical nature of the game is different (competitive yet with great sportsmanship),
• the mental nature of the game is different (played with great character as well as skills),
• the spiritual aspect of our games are different (we grow as Christians who are athletes).

As you play...is it more than just a game?