Victory Beyond Competition

How do I live for God’s kingdom instead of my kingdom?

Today's culture teaches us to live for the moment, and that’s it. Have you heard of the phrase YOLO? It means You Only Live Once. There’s a truth to that saying, in which we do only have one life to live. We should live our life to the fullest. But who are we living for? Are we living for ourselves, or are we living for God?

For athletes, this can often look like “win no matter what.” That mindset can go beyond sport and influence other areas of life. It can affect our family, friendships, and work. It is good to want victories in life, but the question remains. Are we valuing temporary worldly wins over everlasting eternal ones?

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a story about talents. In biblical days, wages were paid in a unit of money called a "talent." There was a connection between people using their gifts and abilities to make a living. Keep that in mind as you hear this story Jesus told.

In the parable, a man gave three servants some talents (money) to invest while he was gone. The first and second servants doubled their talents. The third servant buried his one talent. When the man returned, he praised the first two servants but scolded the third for hiding his talent.

A talent today describes more than money. It can refer to spiritual gifts, abilities, passions, personality, and experiences. It is what makes you uniquely you, and it is something God has given you.

This story illustrates the concept of stewardship. Stewardship is being entrusted with another person’s possessions to watch over or use for a time. The possessions are not yours. You are taking care of them, and it is your responsibility to use them wisely.

We need to use what God gives us instead of burying them for safety. How do we do that? Steward in such a way that gives God glory and serves other people. Invest your talents immediately—do not wait. Put time in growing the area of talent, but remember that it is a gift not an entitlement. You don’t “own” your gifts. You are a manager, or steward, of them.

God wants all of you, not half-hearted commitments. Are you investing in your own kingdom or in God’s kingdom? God requires total investment today for total return tomorrow.

Suggested Prayer Ideas:

• Athletes have unique gifts that can lead to unique opportunities. Pray for a stewardship of these athletic gifts for God’s kingdom, not their own.
• Pray for them to have a team mindset that benefits others.

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Conclusion

In the book of James it talks about how God uses the trials of life to teach life lessons. We need daily reminders that God uses these life lessons to build our trust in Him. Athletes face a lot of trials — and so do you. Praying for Athletes (and yourself along the way) is a great way to increase your trust in Him.

Next Steps

Athletes in Action has other plans dealing with sports. You can use those plans to also equip you with prayer requests. You can find those plans on the AIA Connection page in the Bible App.

Take Action

Pray for Five is an exciting prayer strategy focus to pray for athletes. We invite you to get your list of five individuals to pray for. Come introduce yourself and join the prayer team at the "Pray for Five" website.