It’s not our story.

CJ Stroud sets the bar here. This is the expression we envision from our athletes. It’s the one we desire. Why?

Because in spite of victory after a record-setting performance, he recognized and acknowledged that the whole thing is bigger than him. He brings our attention to the story of Jesus that existed before him and will continue to exist well after he is gone.

How do we get there and how do we help others to do the same?

“I believe the glory of God is the going public of his infinite worth. I define the holiness of God as the infinite value of God, the infinite intrinsic worth of God. And when that goes public in creation, the heavens are telling the glory of God, and human beings are manifesting his glory, because we’re created in his image, and we’re trusting his promises so that we make him look gloriously trustworthy.”
— John Piper

How great are your accomplishments?

  • This big!

    We often get wrapped up in our accomplishments in sports. It doesn’t matter if you’re an athlete, a coach, or a parent living vicariously through their kid, we often over-inflate the grandeur of our success. When we do this, we resemble a young boy in a superhero outfit flexing his minuscule muscles. It is important that we compare what we do next to all that the Creator has done and will do.

  • Kavod

    The Hebrew word ‘kavod’ means glory, honor and splendor. When coupled with God’s glory, His kavod, we are talking about a heavy weight as well - the weighty manifestation of divine presence on earth. Think about this like all of the gold medals around the neck of swimmer Michael Phelps. All of those swimming honors would weigh between 16-18 pounds around his neck. Even this is no comparison to God’s glory on Earth!

  • Incomparable

    As heavy as gold medals might be, how can we ever attempt to compare our honors or achievements to writing the story of history culminating in the empty tomb of Jesus? Glory can be defined as ‘high renown or honor won by notable achievements’ or ‘magnificence or great beauty’. Our accomplishments, no matter how great, will pale in comparison to that of Jesus. This is a vital perspective in our understanding of glory.

Everything in creation displays His glory.

Throughout the world there are breathtaking horizons impossible to capture with a camera or canvas. When we’re there, we often try. However, we’re often in too big of a hurry to soak them in.

This is true in sports as well. In the middle of an historic moment, take a look at the number of people capturing the moment on their phones. Every person is trying to capture it for themselves…as if that moment is for them and not Lebron James.

But look at the man in the front row. Do you recognize him? It’s Phil Knight, the CEO of Nike. He knows it’s a moment to be savored, one that is pointing all of us to something bigger than ourselves. This is a proper recognition of glory on display. Enjoy the moment, but don’t try to steal it as if it is your own.

We’re glory thieves.

A quick disclaimer - this is not a condemnation of Lebron James. The video is simply an object lesson of what happens in our hearts constantly, in situations big and small.

As the fans chant Lebron’s name, cheer him on, and in an odd sense, worship him, they are not making him a better basketball player. He is already an amazing basketball player - he’s the MVP! What fans are doing when they cheer and yell is to say, “He is amazing!” See the difference? What he does on the court makes him a great basketball player. The fans “give him glory” by acknowledging his greatness.

Cheering for our heroes in sport is not unto itself a bad thing, but we’re missing the opportunity to give thanks and glory where it belongs: to the Creator, not the created, as CJ Stroud did above. Who gave us the abilities, situations, environments, etc. to bring everything together? The Lord. He deserves the glory. When we grab for and steal the glory for ourselves in any measure, we end up like Gollum from The Lord of the Rings. We become distorted and we taint the glory not intended for us.

“Giving God glory” is acknowledging all the amazing things that HE is… and who He is…and not anything that we had done “for Him.” (Ed Usynski, Athletes in Action)

Deflect and reflect…in all situations.

Glory cannot land with us because it's not really ours. It's His. It rightfully belongs to our Maker and King. Therefore, to take and keep glory is to steal it. We must only deflect it, reflect it, once it comes our way. That's why God repeatedly asks us to sing new songs about Him, to Him, praising Him for our victories and even our losses. Pushing up the praise is the proper path. Making “Praise God” a common response is a good thing!

Deflecting and reflecting God’s goodness in all things is hard. It may actually be easier in great victories than it is in difficult situations and losses. We tend to keep those for ourselves, thinking we’re being punished or deserve a loss. It is in these moments that we also have the opportunity to deflect and reflect glory back upon the one who owns all things.

God’s glory is all that satisfies.

Jesus is the bread of life. Jesus is the living water. His grace and mercy offer forgiveness and new life through baptism. Turning to created things like sports will not bring contentment to your heart. It’s like trying to drink from a dry well thinking it will satisfy your thirst. Sports are great games, but terrible gods.

However, we should still play and discover Him through our games. “The world is—as it has been said—the theater of God’s glory; but it is also the playground of God’s goodness.” (Jeremy Treat / John Calvin) We can find the kind of unity Jesus spoke about in John 17 through sports. We can point others to God’s grand narrative through the games we play. Through sports, we can experience the Lord as Westminster catechism states - “Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”

When we remember Jesus and give Him the glory in all of our athletic experiences, we get to drink from a well that never goes empty.

Bonus Videos - Glory