Only (Sports) Victory from the Lord?

It’s tiring to hear of professional sports people giving glory to God because they won a game, medal, or championship. Perhaps they are Christians, we can’t say for sure. The interesting thing is that you don’t hear them in interviews or see them pointing up to heaven or praising God when they loose and things don’t go their way. Perhaps it’s not reported.

It’s easy to praise God when things go well, but what about when they go bad or not the way you want—can we still praise God? You have a professional vocation that pays you a large sum of money, again it’s easy to praise God then, but how about when your unemployed or in a job you don’t get glory and much coin for? God is to be praised in all things, not just our earthly victories. Praising God just for the wins reeks of the prosperity Gospel and is a theology of glory mentality. Paul, who would not boast in his earthly accolades, spoke quite differently: “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10).

It is interesting that all the Scripture passages cited were “Christ the victor”-type passages. Again, this quarterback may be a Christian and truly grateful for all that God allowed to come his way. We must be careful about passing judgment.

If they truly are Christian and give all credit to God, that’s great, but God’s involved in more than the mighty deeds in our lives (which are quite few). He’s there in the daily routine and the mundane things of life which do not look impressive at all, even in death—where we most need victory. Think of Luther’s writing where he said that a mother who in faith changes the dirty diaper of her child does a far greater good work before God than all the monks and priests combined. That was scandalous in his day. But throwing a ball is not more helpful than changing a diaper. Who does it really help? Successful entertainment figures are not the preeminent exemplars of the Christian faith. Defeat, by faith, especially in Christ’s death on the cross, is how we win and achieve God’s eternal glory. —ed.