Christ Centered Athlete - An athlete who exemplifies a Christ in everything they do - on or off the court.
One of the most difficult balances in life is the pursuit of
our dreams while keeping Christ in first place. An excellent Christ Centered
athlete is still required to dedicate an exorbitant amount of time training to
achieve their career goals, and many times that will be disproportionate to the
time they spend growing in Christ. Both are requirements for a player’s
success, which makes it difficult for an athlete to balance and to also ensure
that Christ does not take 2nd place in their life
From the beginning of time, God requires that He be #1 in
our life. It is the first of the Ten Commandments, and reiterated in many Old
& New Testament scriptures. Many times God’s children, the Israelites,
would worship the god’s of other people and suffer greatly because of it. The Bible is also filled with God blessing His
children when He was #1 in their life.
In today’s culture, there are many things that vie for our time,
talent, and money. This creates an opportunity for many things to take
precedent over God. A December 2015 study published in Time Magazine showed
that the average American checked their phone 46 times per day. Those between
the ages of 18-24 checked their phone an average of 74 times per day. That
means someone is checking their once every 19.5 minutes! A 2014 study conducted
by the Barna Group found that only 15% of Bible reading adults read the Bible
daily. This study also revealed the number one reason for a decrease in Bible engagement
was because people felt they did not have time to read the Bible. When you
consider these facts and the required amount of time for an athlete to achieve
their athletic dreams, then it’s easy to see how God takes a back-seat in the
life of a player.
So how does the athlete ensure the God maintains a #1 place
in their life? Matthew 6:33 provides the answer. When an athlete seeks first
the Kingdom of God, then everything else will be taken care of. Psalms 37: 4-5
says “Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of
thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and He shall
bring it to pass.” Make a commitment each and every day that your relationship
with Christ will come before anything you do, and then follow through on it.
Commit your training and preparation to the Lord. Talk to the Lord on a regular
basis throughout your day. Make it a goal to memorize scripture or to write
down what God is teaching you every day. Give God, and only God, all of the
glory for your achievements. That’s how the athlete ensures that God stays #1
in your life.
To be a successful Godly leader, always remember that He will
give you the desires of your heart, when you make desiring His heart your first
priority.
In Christ,
Coach CJ
President
CHSM
Website: www.chsmhouston.com
Twitter: @CJPOMEROY1 or @CHSMHOUSTON
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chsmhouston
*http://time.com/4147614/smartphone-usage-us-2015/
*http://www.americanbible.org/uploads/content/state-of-the-bible-data-analysis-american-bible-society-2014.pdf
