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Love Your Opponent
Amanda Tewksbury

Ready:

“But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” Matthew 5:44

 Set:
I was an awkward, lanky shooting guard who made varsity my freshman year. I was both thrilled and scared out of my mind. There was another freshman at our biggest rival high school. Her name was Arianna, and as our first season went on, she and I were neck and neck in our contribution and stats within our team. When I thought of her, I hated her. I saw her as an enemy. I had used her as a gauge of if I was doing well or not compared to how she was doing.

When Jesus was teaching and said that people should pray for and love those who are against them, it must have been just as radical then as it is today. I was talking with some young women at one of our local camps about our need to love and forgive those who hurt us. One of the girls raised her eyebrows at me in disbelief. “I know, crazy, right,” I said. Jesus’ way is very difficult, against our fleshly reactions, but a way of love, light, and life in and through those that follow Him.

As Christian competitors, what if we saw our opponents as those with whom we can mutually become better? They push us to our limits and make us better athletes. This isn’t weakness; it takes more strength to respect those on the other side than to hate them. It takes more strength to give our all, all of the time, no matter what the score or situation with our opponents, for their benefit and ours. Call Jesus crazy, but I think He’s given us the ability to be the most competitive and honoring athletes and coaches out there.

Go:

1. How do you view your opponents?

2. How might this perspective change how you compete?

Overtime:

Philippians 1:9-11

Lord, help us to love those we compete against, knowing You love them as we do. Amen.