"God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast and when I run, I feel his pleasure."
Where Christ is not known
It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known. Romans 15:20I remember the chaplain of an English professional football team once saying to me, “I like to go places where people don’t expect to see a Christian minister”. Those of us who work in the world of sport may often feel that we are in a place where Christ is not known. In saying that I want to stress that I personally don’t think the world of elite sport is any more godless than business, the military etc.
Speaking of the UK, where I live, society generally is very godless. This week I was reading the autobiography of a professional footballer who described how he stopped going to church when he was 11 because none of his mates went. Being a Christian is counter-cultural in the UK today.
If you are a Christian in the world of sport, I am not expecting you to “preach the gospel” but you are there as Christ’s representative to live your life for him. Jesus said (Matthew 5:16) “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven”.
Remember the quote attributed to Francis of Assisi: “Preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words”.