"It matters a great deal who is going to win, but not at all who won"
Praying with Joy
I always pray with joy Philippians 1:4Joy was the keyword for Paul when he thought about praying for the Philippians. Last week we noted that he was thankful every time he thought about them. Now, he is filled with joy every time he prays for them. Was Paul staying in a 5 star hotel, eating three luxurious meals a day, drinking the best vintage Jewish wine as he wrote this when was he in prison, uncomfortable, dirty, hungry? Despite any human discomfort he prayed with joy.
For me prayer is often a chore, a battle, something that easily gets pushed out of a busy day. For Paul it was a joy. (Now I am sure Paul had his battles too!) If we could only grasp the immense privilege of being able to talk to the creator and sustainer of the universe any time we want - about anything we want, then we too might pray more joyfully.
Joy is one of the key concepts in Paul's Christian life. The word is used about 20 times in his letters. He tells his readers to be joyful all the time (Romans 12:12 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16). For Paul, joy often comes in the midst of times of real difficulty (2 Corinthians 7:4). Paul's joy is inspired by his relationship with Jesus.
As we represent Christ in the world of sport, let us do it with joy. Let us strive to be the person in the club who always has a smile, a positive attitude. And let us try to see praying for our sports friends as a privilege, something we do with joy.