Humility in SportSýnishorn

There was a student called John who was desperate to be part of the football team. For half a season he turned up whilst not getting picked until a few injuries found him on the coach to an away game and in the team.

On the way to the game there was an accident and the minibus got stuck in traffic. Cutting it fine to be on time for the game, the captain instructed they all get changed in the bus. It was at that moment the captain realised he’d forgotten his boots.

John played the same position as the captain, so the assumption was he’d now get to start the game. However, without hesitating John said to the captain “Mate, you’re the same size as me, take mine.”

The captain was gobsmacked. “What are you going to do though?”

“It’s alright I’ll go on the bench,” John replied. “It’s more important that you start than me, so take my boots.”

The captain ran onto the pitch but at half-time, he stopped the team talk and interrogated John. He couldn’t understand why he would give him his boots.

They finished the game and on the bus on the way back the captain sat next to John and asked him what motivated him to act in the way that he did. For two hours on the way back John got to share with the captain about his faith in Jesus, the perfect man, who took on the nature of a servant.

In Philippians 2 we are told:

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

Jesus became a servant, a slave, for us. The whole of his life lived out this posture of servanthood as he submitted to his Father’s will all the way to being obedient to dying a cruel and agonising death on the cross.

The life and death of Jesus is way more than an example to us – only Jesus is able to be our Saviour and the world is not saved by people being like Jesus, but through trust in Jesus. But Paul here tells us Jesus’ humble servanthood, which took him all the way to the cross is still to be an example to us.

John could have chosen to stay quiet, play the game, and seek to use the opportunity to his own advantage. Instead, he asked himself, “What is good for the captain and the team?” and he acted on that question despite the personal cost to himself.

How can you answer this question ‘what is good for other people’ in my world of sport today?

How can you serve and love others above yourself today?

Pray now, asking God’s help to make you more like Jesus in your attitude today.

Pray

Dear Lord,

Thank you for sending Jesus, not just as an example, but as our Saviour. But now, as those who have been saved by Jesus, help us to be like him in how we interact with those we compete with or against today. Help us to serve and love others above ourselves.

Amen

Finally take a few minutes now to pray for those in your club or team who don’t yet know Jesus, that you’d have an opportunity to speak to them about Jesus this Game Day.