Transformation Through Faith

Embracing Grace

I don’t always make the right choices. I’ve responded with pride, given into temptation, and allowed distractions to take my eyes off God. There have been times when I’ve acted in downright disobedience to God. I’ve made sinful choices out of ignorance or even laziness. But what I’ve learned most through these bad choices is that God’s grace is greater than my failures.

Romans 8:1 reminds us that we are not condemned. God no longer punishes or shames us, and we don’t need to carry guilt. People whose faith, trust, and hope are in Christ can confidently know they are forgiven. The Bible uses a phrase to describe this forgiveness: "Our sins being as far as the east is from the west."

God not only forgives us but wants to transform us. In his letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul took it even further. He said that we are new in Christ. The old has gone, the new is here! We no longer have to live in our old sinful ways. We can allow the grace and mercy of Jesus to motivate us to live for Him. I no longer live for God to earn His approval. Instead, I live for Him with an overflowing gratitude for His love and forgiveness.

When I humble myself, surrender my struggles, and trust in Him, He changes me from the inside out. I’ve personally seen this transformation in my life and career. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about letting God shape me into who He’s called me to be. The more I seek His will, the more I see true change—beyond my sport and into every part of my life.

Application Questions:

• How have you seen God transform your life when you’ve surrendered to Him?
• What areas of your life still need to be surrendered for true change?

Prayer:

"Lord, help me to stand out boldly for You, seeking Your approval above all else. Teach me to keep You at the center of my life and transform me into the athlete and person You’ve created me to be. Lead me in the coming days to stay in your Word, learning and growing in my knowledge and love for You."

Summary

The biblical story of Joseph has applications to the life of an athlete.

Joseph, one of Jacob’s sons, had dreams of greatness and leadership as a young man. But his journey had hardships and setbacks. It is like an athlete's injuries or failures. He experienced bad calls and injustice. Despite the trials, Joseph trusted God, maintained his integrity, and continued to persevere.

Over time, Joseph’s faith and perseverance saw a reward. He rose to power and ultimately saved his family and many others from famine. Joseph understood that God was working, even when the path seemed unclear. Through it all, he gave glory to God.

Our prayer is that before, during, and after your competition, you will have a similar perspective. Keep God's word in front of you and focus your eyes on Him!

Next Steps

Athletes in Action has other plans dealing with sports. You can use those plans to also equip you for competition. You can find those plans on the AIA Connection page in the Bible App. Click the "Follow" button to receive notifications of new content.

Take Action

You may also want to consider a more personalized journey from our publisher page. We have many other ideas and other Bible App plans to help you spiritually as an athlete. Please come by to say hello.