The Discipline of Sports (Part 1)

CEBU, Philippines - Wonder why our sports teams never reach where we hope them to be and our athletes seldom excel as they should?

We do not have to look far. At the barangay levels teams get into fist fights, coaches defy referees and governing bodies, at the same time questioning almost everything, thereby creating chaos in the game. They show bad examples to the team.

In the national and even in the international level, it is all the same - substance abuse, politics and corruption abound, wounding and harming every person involved in the so-called Discipline of Sports.

What is the end result of this? We produce selfish, proud, corrupt people out of the players; players whose hearts were, at first, geared purely for the love of sport.   On the other hand, we produce disappointed and disoriented individuals who will make a vow in their hearts (though most will not admit) to never make their children follow in their footsteps. Still, we wonder why our sports never reach the level where we hope it to be?

So, where should we start? What do we lack? financial resources? Yes and no is my answer. Is it there a shortage of the right people to run the different sports? Yes and No. Shall we hire foreign coaches to train our athletes? Yes and No.

What is the solution to all of this? Jesus. You see, we have omitted the service of the best coack and trainer in the whole universe. We failed to have him on board in all levels of sports in each team, in every individual, in every training. Most of all, we fail to welcome him in our hearts.

This is where Ve-Just fills in. Ve-Just (V – olleyball, E – nthusiast, J – esus, U- ndertrainee, S –ports, T – eam) is a sports ministry wanting to make a difference in the sports arena by impacting a life for Jesus Christ. This particular desire – impact a life for Jesus Christ is motivated by the fact that sports in general create a) disunity instead of unity, b) enemies instead of friends, c) proud and selfish athletes instead of submissive and loyal players.

The best place to make a big start is not on finances, foreign coaches, etc. Rather the starting point is to be in the heart of every individual involved in the discipline of sports. They may be a player, a coach, a manager, team owner, etc. as the heart is the seat of all evil. Jesus declared it clearly in the Gospel of Mark.

Mar 7:21 For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,

Mar 7:22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.

However, we will not look to Jesus as the solution if we do not realize that . . .

1.)        We are all sinners and separated from God

Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

2.)        Nothing good dwells in us

Rom 7:18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

3.)        No one is good no not one

Rom 3:12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless;   there is no one who does good   not even one.”

4.)        We are all prisoners of sin

Rom 7:23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

Gal 3:22 But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

5.)        We are all slave to sin

Rom 7:25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Since this is our true spiritual condition we need

• To repent otherwise we suffer eternal defeat in hell.

• To accept the once and for all sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary as the only way for our salvation. For the payment of our sin is so costly. It requires a perfect sinless man to pay.

1Ti 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

1Ti 2:6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.

• To believe that Jesus is fully God and fully man, who rose from the grave to prove He is God who lay down His life and take it again. In order to give a glorious hope to those who will believe and trust in Him for their salvation. For in Jesus is eternal life.

Joh 10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Joh 6:40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

• To make Jesus Lord and Savior of our life

We will talk more about what we can do in the next issue. As of now may you be willing to give Jesus a fresh start in you.

Call us at 0923-956-2998 or email us at [email protected].