“All I know most surely about morality and obligation I owe to football”,

Albert Camus

With all your heart

Pleasing God is not judged by what anyone else says about our performance. Indeed, it is not even about the trophies we might win. It is doing the best we can with our talents that pleases God.

Coaches sometimes worry about the fact that a particular player has become a Christian, thinking that he will have lost interest in the game and lost his competitive edge. That is completely wrong.

This is often based on a misunderstanding of Christianity. Too often Christians have communicated to the world a "gentle Jesus meek and mild". Christians are seen as wimps, who turn the other cheek and get sand kicked in their faces. The word Christian in modern usage has come to mean good-goody, nice but dull.

The Muscular Christianity movement developed in the nineteenth century partly out of a concern that the church was becoming overly tolerant of physical weakness and effeminacy. Someone even suggested that there would not be enough men to sing bass in heaven! The Muscular Christians stressed that Jesus was a real man who called his followers to be real men too. We need to represent a manly Jesus in the world of sport.

The Christian player who understands what it is to use their talents for God's glory should, rather, be the most committed player in the club because they have the fundamental privilege of doing it for the Lord who gave them those talents.

As Christian sportspeople we must be people who give of our very best in all circumstances, win, lose or draw. I will not be a quitter and will always drive to get the very best out of my performance. This is what "taking care" of the world of sport for God actually requires of us.

The Christian should be the most hardworking player in the club and the most modest.

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