"Football is not a matter of life and death, it is more important than that."
Motivation
The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7In a play* about the murder of Archbishop Thomas Beckett, the following words are attributed to Beckett: “The last temptation is the greatest treason: to do the right deed for the wrong reason”. I read it in school and the quotation has stayed with me. It is a reminder to test our motivation. Athletes more often speak about winning for God’s glory than about losing for God’s glory – but surely losing for God’s glory is as important – if not more so – than winning?
The challenge for me is there constantly in my service of God. What is my motivation? Am I going the “good deed” so that others will see me do it? Am I enjoying the status of ministry at the Olympics more than at the training ground on a freezing January day?
In the performance-driven world of elite sport, it is hard for athletes to avoid looking at the outward appearances (the career statistics, the medals and the accolades) and just to look at the heart. It is a constant challenge to see sport as God sees it.
It is hard for athletes always to do the right deed for the right reason. But it is equally hard for those who minister in sport to get it right.
*TS Eliot Murder on the Cathedral