REFLECTING GLORY: PART 2

WELCOME

We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.– 2 Corinthians 3:18

As you trust God more each day, it will show up in two areas of your life: how you manage your time and how you respond to others. Both are key to your desire to reflect His glory in competition and life.

WORKOUT

Reflecting His Freedom

As a competitor, it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing you don’t have enough time. You have to make space for family, school, sports, and friendships while hoping to have time for recreation and rest. It can be even more overwhelming when you include the need for prayer, Bible reading, and church community.

But when you trust God, you will experience the freedom to put Him first. It’s all about living differently than what the sports culture tries to mandate and to understand that the most important thing you can do is show others who Jesus is.

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in Heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

• What are some areas of your life where time seems to be scarce?
• How do you think allowing God to help you re-prioritize some things might help bring you the time and freedom to reflect His glory?

Reflecting His Image

One of the hardest things to do as a Christ-following competitor is reflect His character. The apostle Paul wrote a list of attributes that should be evident in the believer’s life:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Here’s how the fruit of the Spirit might look for a competitor:

• Love: having compassion for everyone including your opponents.

• Joy: being content in both victory and defeat.

• Peace: not stressing out in difficult situations.

• Patience: remaining unbothered when things take a while.

• Kindness: treating others with respect and care.

• Goodness: having pure motives in your actions towards others.

• Faithfulness: not giving up when things get tough.

• Gentleness: not responding harshly when receiving negative feedback.

• Self-control: not flying off the handle in the heat of competition.

These fruit can be hard to find in today’s world, but having them evident in your life means reflecting God’s image.

• Which of these fruit do you find most difficult to produce as a competitor?
• How do you think these fruits will help you reflect His image?

WRAP-UP

When you seek to reflect God’s glory, remember that:

• Reflecting His Freedom will allow you to escape the performance trap and help you better prioritize your life and manage your time.
  • Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17)
• Reflecting His Image will change the way you respond to others as you allow Him to produce the fruits of the Spirit within your life.
  • We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

As you become more like Jesus, you will continue to move from chasing your glory to reflecting His glory.

Key Action

As a Huddle or in your quiet time, read Ephesians 3:14-20. Then, write down and think about some of the benefits (peace, grace, hope, etc.) that come from your new life in Christ.