Return
to Question and Answers Page
Hi Arthur!
Well I have a question concerning about the chart we made
on TD night, (last Friday). It was the one about the things
we do in the world, and the things we do spiritually. As I
thought about that chart, I wanted to make my tennis more
spiritually, so I can play for God and play for His glory.
Doing a little thinking I asked myself, could I play for fun?
like joyfully, just with Christian friends? or do I still
play for God. Like afterwards, do I thank God that He has
given me this gift? I tend to forget that I'm playing for
God, is there any way i could think more of God when I play?
if you have any advice, please tell me.
Hey!
Great to hear from you!
Well, that is certainly a great question you bring up. It
is said that sports brings out the real you. You can be all
calm and nice, but when you get on a court or field, the real
you shows up. I know that's true for me. My short patience,
etc. comes out.
Anyway, 1 Cor. 10:31 says that "whether then you eat or drink,
or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God ... including
tennis." Well, the including tennis isn't in the verse, of
course, but it could be! :).
So, how do you play tennis to the glory of God? Generally,
first I'd say that we need to play tennis like we need to
do anything else:
1. With Him in mind - we do this by giving our best effort
(Col. 3:23 - whatever you do, do your work heartily as for
the Lord rather than men), and by playing in a manner that
represents Him well; that means good sportsmanship, a good
attitude, and never putting the task at hand before His reputation
and honor; of course, that doesn't mean you can't be competitive,
tough, and aggressive on the court; but that doesn't have
to be coupled with a foul mouth, an arrogant attitude, etc.
2. With a thankful and awed heart - the fact that we can
do what we do on the court is a miracle. Besides the immense
amount of co-ordination that is needed, the muscle and skeletal
structure themselves are miracles. The real reward is just
being able to play! I often converse with the Lord between
points, just thanking Him for being able to be out there -
and I ask him to help me to do my best and to be content with
that. Sometimes, my game is off (like the other day in doubles),
but, hey, that's ok. Just to be out with a great bunch of
guys, getting exercise, is a blast;
3. Remember the point of life and have fun - in actuality,
tennis isn't that important; so work hard to improve, but
keep it in perspective too; have fun and give compliments
to others you're playing with; encourage them so that they
feel uplifted when playing with you. It's funny, but you actually
play better when you're relaxed because you know it's not
the end of the world. See your tennis (and anything else you
do) as an opportunity - not to get better than others, but
to be with others and represent the Lord well. There are wonderful
opportunities to bond and talk, giving you the opportunity
to either edify the Christian or get to know the non-Christian
better;
Sandra plays doubles with me on Thursday mornings (doubles)
and we play with two other guys. At first, she felt intimidated
to play, but she just keeps the acrostic BEST in her mind.
I'll let her share it:
B - doing your best
E - exercise
S - sportsmanship
T - teamwork
I (Sandra) don't want to be intimidated to not play up to
my potential yet at the same time I don't want to set up a
false goal like beating my opponent to be my motivation.
(Arthur) Tennis is a lot like life. It has its ups and downs.
With an incorrect attitude, you can start off great, get cocky,
and then fall behind. You can start off slowly, get frustrated,
and just lose it. With a correct attitude, you can consistently
give your best, and then trust the Lord for the rest; you
can show courage and determination when you're down. And all
the while, you can do it while staying within the rules (i.e.
calling lines fairly) - just like you can in life.
Also, like in life, when you don't live up to all this,
confess it to God and to the one you played with. Something
like, "Hey, sorry about having a bad attitude out there. I
shouldn't have acted like that." goes a long way.
Don't know if that helps, but let me know, ok?
Blessings,
Arthur
Return to Question and Answers
Page 
