God has an amazing heart for athletes and competition. The Bible is filled with stories that speak to competition and its inherent challenges. Perhaps the most popular verse for runners comes from 1 Corinthians 9:24, which says “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” However, with God, it’s not all about winning. It’s about training, it’s about character, and it’s about living the life He intended for you to live.
Have you ever signed up for something and then wondered what you were thinking? I had no idea why I signed up for my second marathon. I thought back to why I had competed in the first marathon, and there were several elements at work:
- I was motivated to prove wrong the people who said I’d never be able to run a marathon
- There was definitely a challenge involved, in which I wanted to prove something to myself
- I enjoyed the camaraderie of the runners I trained with, and completing a marathon was a common bond that the team shared
- Having played team sports growing up, and then being a weightlifter, competitive running was an exciting opportunity to try a new sport
Those were my secular motives. The question was, what did God think of this?
What Does God Say About Competition?
God has a lot to say about competition and the competitive mindset. 1 Corinthians 9:25 says, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” Paul, the author of 1 Corinthians, talks about how only one runner can receive the prize. However, he doesn’t say that if you’re not the best, don’t try. Instead, he says to run with the intention of obtaining the prize. Work hard. Train hard. Run hard. He quickly takes this metaphor to a level that translates athletic training into spiritual training. He says that we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Those same disciplines used in athletics, training, and competition are required as we pursue eternity with Jesus Christ.
God wants you to work hard, train hard, run hard, and compete. However, as athletes, He expects more. In Philippians 2:3-4, Paul says, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” The New International Version of the Bible replaces the phrase “do nothing from rivalry or conceit” to “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.” The New Living Translation version replaces this phrase with “don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others.” God’s stance is clearly that we should do nothing out of conceit, vanity, selfishness, or a need to impress others.
In another book of the Bible authored by Paul, 2 Timothy, he continues with the theme of competition. “An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.” ~2 Timothy 2:5. This verse speaks another of God’s truths on competition as well as life. God wants us to be fair and to play by the rules – no cheating allowed.
Lastly, Paul authored another book called Colossians, and in Colossians 3:17 he says, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Perhaps that’s the most powerful verse about the competitive mindset. It’s the same as the mindset God wants for us in all things, “Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
In Summary
If we summarize what’s found throughout scripture, it boils down to this:
- Work hard. Train hard. Run hard.
- Compete to win the prize. Do your best.
- Train spiritually in the same way that you train athletically
- Do nothing out of conceit, vanity, selfishness, or a need to impress others
- Be humble. Put others first.
- Play fair
- Do everything in the name of Jesus
Jesus won the victory over death. Jesus won the victory over sin. This was God’s plan from the beginning - to give us a game plan for winning at life. Jesus is our life coach. We are on His team. His playbook is the Bible.
God loves you and has a perfect plan for your life. He wants you to train spiritually in the same ways you train athletically. He wants you to do your best. He wants you to live an abundantly blessed life, filled with success, winning, and love. He wants your heart such that you do it all for Him and His glory. When your performance becomes a true sacrifice to Jesus Christ, and when you give it all back to the one who created you, you’ll have already won.
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