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"I love the sense of satisfaction that I get when I’ve done a swimming workout or race, and know that I gave my whole being and heart to God in every moment of the swim. It’s the best worship I can offer him."

Penny Heyns

4:13

I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength Philippians 4:13

The main picture in last week’s Sunday Times was an action shot from the England New Zealand Rugby Union game. It shows an All Black with a wrist-band with “4:13” clearly visible. The player with the wristband has an England player by the collar as he pushes his fist into the England player’s face. And lest I be accused of bias, I am sure that the Kiwi player would not have punched the England player if he had not done something first.

First of all let me say that I have never met the player in question and do not know what his motivation was in wearing the wristband or how he saw the incident captured by the camera. My comments do not mean to criticize one particular player but rather to see what we can learn from it.

My reflection on the picture took me in two directions. First the obvious one that if you choose to identify ourselves as followers of Jesus, then there is a challenge to walk the walk as well as talking the talk.

I have always struggled with the sporting interpretation of Philippians 4:13, which is often used by sportspeople as a kind of mantra. It means that because I follow Christ, I can do anything. It is a motivational tool to take the player to spectacular feats of success. The odds may be against a win today but remember that I can do all things through Christ.

Look at the context of the verse. “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances…I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” Philippians 4:11-13. Paul says that Christ gives him the ability to be content even when things are tough - not the ability to win rugby matches perhaps.

The moral, I suppose, is that if we decide to display Bible verses when we play, then we need to play in an appropriate manner and also to use the Bible verse correctly.

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