The Inside Game

What motivates you?

Have you ever asked yourself why you do things? What is your true motivation? Many different motivations propel us in life.

Athletes must often ask, "What motivates me?" Is it recognition, fear of failure, winning, fame, or your parents? Most motivations are good. For example, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to win. The key question is: deep down, why do you do what you do?

The story of the two brothers in Luke 15 is about a father's relationship to his two sons. The younger son demands his inheritance and squanders it on wild living. Desperate and desolate, he goes back to his father as a broken man. His father welcomes him and even throws him a party! Meanwhile, the older son is angry because he stayed home and obeyed his father. The older brother resents his brother’s celebration.

The motivation of the younger son is worldly pleasures. He was looking for life independent of his father. He tried to find satisfaction in the pursuit of pleasure. And what was the result? He ran out of money and concluded that even the pigs ate better than he did.

Self-righteousness motivated the older brother. Self-righteousness says, “I only trust in myself and my ability, not God’s.” He was looking for life by performing for his father. His father’s love and provision are not enough for him. The result for the older son? He compared himself with others, which is an exhausting way to live life.

The father represents God. The father's motivation is to love his sons without condition. In the parable, both sons break the relationship, and the father longs for restoration. He wants renewed fellowship.

Both sons completely miss their father's love. They both want to “get” something. The older son wants his dad’s stuff, and the younger son wants freedom. However, the father wants a relationship with them. Their identity as his sons never changes, regardless of what they did or did not do. The father loves them no matter what!

It is easy to believe that your worth is dependent on something other than what God says. Athletes can struggle with how they determine their worth. Is it based on the amount of minutes they play, the win/loss record, stats, or awards earned? The reality for us all is that our worth comes from the unchangeable truth that we are a child of God. Win or lose, good game or bad game, our identity does not change.

Romans 8 says that we are adopted into God’s family, and our motivation changes to this new family identity. Your lowest lows will not keep you down, and your highest highs do not keep you up. When a team loses, fans and athletes feel the loss and grieve. But, the athletes are still loved, worthy, and significant. If you have a stellar performance, you celebrate the victory but then walk in humility. Win or lose, you are no more loved than you were before the game is even played.

The same is true for everyone who follows Jesus, athlete or not. Your identity does not come from reputation, successes, relationships, or money. Your identity comes from what God says.

Suggested Prayer Ideas:

• Pray for motivation that comes from a place of identity as adopted children of God.
• Pray for Christian athletes to respond in a Christ-like way in both victory and defeat.
• Pray for athletes to be positive role models as they are often on a high-profile platform.

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