Glorifying God in Rugby?
Ipswich vs. Woodbridge – the biggest match of the season against the
closest rivals and also by far the dirtiest. It was being played under
floodlights and we were playing in front of our biggest crowd yet.
How does a Christian play in such a way as to glorify God in that
situation, while also being ready and psyched up for the occasion? A lot of
the preparation for a rugby match is focused around the first “big hit”.
Psychologically, if you can nail your man to the ground in the first minute
then you have won a great battle. How is it possible to be in a team where
you are encouraged to inflict pain on the opposition, while still loving ALL
others, even Woodbridge players? This is a problem I face each week. On the
one hand I need to put in the big hits whose purpose is to knock the
stuffing out of my opposite man, while at the same time I need to love him.
It is a precarious balance, but I believe it is possible.
One way I try to make sure I glorify God with my rugby is to ensure my
preparation is focused around prayer rather than a desire to cause pain to
another. I recognise that God has given me the ability to play rugby and I
pray that he would keep me safe and injury-free, and that he would empower
me to play to the best of my ability; as Philippians 4:13 says “I can do all
things through him who strengthens me.” I believe that God wants me to put
all of my effort into a rugby match because he has given me the gift of
being able to play the sport. This includes not avoiding going in for a big
tackle, but in that situation, the focus is not to hurt the opponent, but to
try my best to win the game. As a Christian rugby player, I believe that one
of the best ways I can be a witness for God is to put all of my effort in,
not only in the big games, but in the cold, wet, winter training sessions.
Also, while putting all my effort in, I do not deliberately break the rules.
The three tips I have for any Christian sportsmen and women are: to pray,
to try hard and to obey the rules. If you can do these three, I think God
will be well pleased, and you will bring him glory through your sport.
Ed
