Trophies on the Throne

It starts early and subtly. Your preschool girl is showing promise in her tumbling class; her coach would like to move her up a level. Your elementary kid begs to be on the soccer team. Your high school boy is on track for a college scholarship and needs to be in summer camps.

Before you know it, you are maxing out credit cards to travel to competitions and pay for gear; wearing out the entire family with relentless, grueling schedules; sacrificing mental health for superior physical prowess and trophies.

The benefits of playing sports are score after score—physical well-being, stress reducer, team skills, etc. But the sports industry often preys on the parental-guilt hamstring, causing parents to feel they are holding their kids back if they don’t max out every opportunity. Scholarships and fame and gold medals are the carrot dangled. The more money spent, the more results parents expect to see, and the more pressure is put on the athlete. Sports quickly become not fun anymore.

The reality of it smacks a hard homer: fewer than 8 percent of high school athletes will play in college, and even fewer go on to a professional level. And spiritually, it can be a knockout if we make our children’s success, or their desires, an idol. Sure, sacrifice is required for anything good. But are we placing a trophy on the throne?

Through Moses, God warns his people against forming alliances and engaging in practices that would turn their attention away from God. This instruction is also for us today, and it concerns any person, thing, entity, or activity that shifts our desire away from God and God’s plan for our lives. The LORD said:

“I demand your complete loyalty—you must not worship any other god!”

Exodus 34:14 (CEV)

We should take a regular heart-check to ensure we aren’t trusting in skills more than in God; we aren’t placing some dream over what God desires for the good of the family or the child.

PRAY

Lord, thank you for abilities and fun things, but help me not to put them over what you desire for our family. Forgive me for losing sight of you in my pursuits, and help me quickly discern when I am wrong. Show me the way I should go. Amen.

TIME TO TALK

Conversation starter for kids: Provides you with questions and prompts to facilitate a time of applicable discussion with children to lead them towards knowing God and His Word more deeply.

Question(s): What are your big dreams? How can we honor God in what we do?

Apply: No one can dictate how much is too much and what’s best for your family outside of you and God. This takes discernment that comes from prayer. Pray with your kids about their aspirations, openly repenting of wrong attitudes. Commit to doing whatever the Lord directs.

KEEP IT GOING

Related passages: These additional verses will help parents expand Scriptural knowledge and place on the armor of God’s Word to tackle each day. Swipe to read the passages today.

Proverbs 16:3

Colossians 3:17