"I jump into a sand pit for a living"
Called
Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. 1 Corinthians 7:17In Corinthians 7:17-24, Paul is addressing slaves among others and telling them to be content with their status. What struck me most in the passage is that 8 times he refers to his readers as having been “called by God”.
Sometimes we misunderstand God’s calling and think that only missionaries, pastors and church leaders are called by God. Wrong, we are all called by God. The ability to achieve higher, faster, stronger (to quote the Olympic motto) is a gift from God. If you have that ability and have been called by God, you can see the world of sport as the place where you are to serve God.
Another point which emerges from this passage is that we should be content wherever God has placed us. In Philippians 4:11 Paul writes: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” and in case his readers missed it, he says in the following verse: “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation”.
Contentment does not come from achievement, status or financial gain – not that any of these are wrong – but from knowing the call of God in our lives.