Christian Sports Illustrations and Parables

The Moment of Truth

Eric Liddel Christian Sports Athletes train for years to prepare for a race. Then, in a matter of seconds, it’s all over, with those many years of preparation condensed to a single moment of truth. If an athlete is victorious, they have proven to self and spectators, the years of effort have not been wasted.

The life of Christianity is similar to the life of an athlete. There will be years of training, setbacks and heartaches. If we persevere, God will arrange a demonstration of our spiritual strength in one of life’s many events. It will be our moment of truth - our turn to face Goliath. Often, the time we have to show the world the ‘glory of God’ is over in a heartbeat. It could simply be a small window of opportunity - to say or do the right thing at the exact moment when it is most needed. However, we can relax; God knows when we are spiritually strong enough to be victorious. At that time, He will bring many spectators to watch our moment of truth so they can witness that our years of faith in Him have been well justified.

Passing the Baton

Christian Sports Illustrations A baton is a short rod, a staff of office or a symbol of rank. A relay race is a team event where consecutive runners pass the baton to the next team-mate on completion of their stage of the race.

As Christians we have a race set before us. This race is a team event which started with our Lord Jesus Christ. When Christ completed His stage of the race, He passed the baton to His disciples, telling them to go out and evangelise. Since then, many generations have taken the baton and sprinted for God’s glory, passing it on from Christian to Christian. Now, after two thousand years, the baton has been passed to us.
Life is our stage of the race. The baton (staff of office / symbol of rank) is now in our hands we must be careful not to drop it by failing to fulfil God’s purpose for our life. Like all true Christian athletes, we should concentrate on one objective – to run for the glory of God. Whether we succeed or fail on our leg of the race, the baton will eventually be passed to the next generation of Christians. We need not worry about the race outcome. By reading our Bible we learn that the Christians win. (John 17:18)

Christian Little League

Christian Sports Illustration If you watch young children play sport, you soon recognize that they can be placed in two general categories – (1) the enthusiastic children who eagerly chase the ball and then kick it without thinking, and (2) the procrastinating children who see the ball coming and think maybe they should do something (after the ball has passed them, they are then certain they should have).

When at first we become Christians, we can generally be placed into two categories - those who act and seldom think, and those who think but seldom act.
This is natural behaviour for the ‘Christian Little League’. However, changes occur the longer we stay in the Christian game. As we attain a fuller understanding of the rules and continually practice the spiritual skills, our actions and thoughts start to synchronize until they become one. Then it is only a matter of time before God signs up those ‘skillful Christian athletes’ to face the Big League. (Philippians 3:12-14)

Athletes in Life

Christian Sports Illustration Athletes are physically powerful people who compete and excel at sport. They are admired for their great speed, strength, stamina, skill, beautiful bodies, health, riches and fame. It is very easy to understand why so many young people look up to athletes and say: ‘I want to be just like them.’

Christians should be spiritually powerful people who excel in the Sport-of-Life. In times of adversity they should be poised, strong, tranquil and relaxed and, in times of prosperity, graceful, compassionate and considerate. Their marriages should be the living examples of joy, their family lives an example of team unity and their personal lives a reflection of Christ’s strength. When people examine the lives of Christians they should see an inner strength which they themselves lack and dearly would like in their own lives.
Sadly, this is not the case. Instead, most people see Christians who are breaking under adversity, whingeing and moaning in prosperity and being judgmental instead of gracious. Then they conclude: ‘There is nothing Christians have that I could possibly want. I am a much better Life-Athlete than them.’ (2 Corinthians 6:4-10)

Jumping Hurdles

Christian Sports Illustration Horses are often very reluctant to jump hurdles. That’s why in sport of show jumping, riders train them initially by placing the hurdle very low. Each time the horse shies away from the jump, the patient rider brings the reluctant horse back to try again. With encouragement, eventually the horse will go over. Then when the horse confidently meets each challenge, the rider will raise the pole and continue to encourage the horse to conquer the course set before it.

God is training us to overcome the course He has set before us. He has planned a spiritual journey for each of us, which means crossing into many fields of endeavour. The problem is each field is separated by an obstacle and, before we enter a new field, we must jump the hurdle. As with show jumping, there are many hurdles to overcome as we advance in our spiritual lives. These cover an infinite variety of different things (usually personal issues of which only you and God are aware), but they are a barrier to your advancement. God will lead us to each hurdle and encourage us to jump. He knows our ability and will never direct us to a hurdle that is too high. Like horses, we shy away at times and even buck God off (reject God’s plan). But when we allow God back on the saddle, He will lead us to that same hurdle time and time again.
On the day we finally overcome that obstacle, we will find God has led us into a fresh field of endeavour, with even further fields in sight. He will lead us patiently over to our next hurdle, encouraging us onwards to spiritual greatness. (Psalms 18:29)

Marksmen

Christian Sports Images A marksman is defined as someone who shoots with great skill and accuracy.

We are all marksmen aiming at our own goals and objectives. Some people are better than others at hitting their mark.
As marksmen, we can go through life shooting at our own targets (sometimes hitting and sometimes missing) - or we have the choice of handing our arrows to God.
When God starts overshooting our targets, we can’t be blamed to think He has missed the mark. But God is a perfect marksman and never misses. Some day, we will come to realise He was never aiming at our target - but a target far beyond our range of vision. As we pass it, we will see God hit the target squarely in the centre.
Mankind is often too short-sighted to see the targets of an eternal God. Sometimes our arrows (purpose in life) will hit the mark (bare fruit) long after we are dead. On handing our arrows to God we should keep in mind that just because we can’t see where God sent our arrow doesn’t mean He didn’t hit the target.

Running the Victory Lap

Christian Sports Images When a winning athlete is granted a lap of honour, it is a most joyous occasion. As he or she runs slowly around the arena, proudly holding their country’s flag, the athlete is on an emotional high, smiling and waving to the crowd.

Jesus Christ was victorious at the cross. However, he didn’t wait around for his victory lap. Instead, he headed off to build us all a mansion in Heaven and, in his absence, asked us to do the victory lap for him.
Thus as Christians, our lives should reflect the joyful athlete running the victory lap. When we run around the ‘Arena of Life’ facing its tests and trials, we should do it with the full knowledge that the race has already been won. We should run proud and carefree and hold high the flag of Christ for everyone to see. When the crowd see our joyful life and the flag we are holding (especially undergoing adversity), they will know to whom the victory belongs. Happiness is contagious and everyone wants to celebrate with a winner.

Use It or Lose It

Christian Sports Pictures We may have been at the top in sport, but if we have neglected our skills and run impulsively onto a sports ground thinking we can relive past glories, we should not be surprised when we limp off with an injury.
If we live long enough, we will soon understand that acquired skills and knowledge can easily be lost from lack of use. Academic subjects learnt at school will be of little help if not periodically revised and physical prowess will diminish if we don’t stay in the game.

Christian life is similar to sporting, academic, business or military life - our ‘spiritual’ skills (such as faith, Christ-like attributes and prayer) must be continually developed. Should we neglect to use our acquired skills – don’t be surprised if we lose them. We must maintain and practise our spiritual skills; otherwise they will not avail us in a crisis and the Devil’s world will cause injury after injury.

Seas of Circumstance

Christian Sailing Our body is like a boat and we are its Captain.
We sail through life on the Seas of Circumstance.
It is up to us in which direction we head.
There will be many waves with Crests of Exhilaration and Troughs of Depression.
Luckily, the Winds of Grace are always blowing.
However, many of us pull down our Sails of Faith, reach for our Oars of Craving and row straight onto the Reef of Distraction.

Body Building

Christian Body Building Illustration A strong body needs the right food and exercise. If we don’t eat the proper food, we will eventually become physically sick. Lack of exercise will delay muscle growth. Soon, our muscles will lose their elasticity and even the smallest weights will become too heavy for our puny muscles to bear.

Our physical life mirrors our spiritual life. We must eat the right food (the Word of God) to give us spiritual energy. We must use this energy to exercise. The trials and pressures of life build and test our spiritual strength. The more we exercise the more spiritual muscle we build (Faith, Christ-like Love and Spiritual Confidence). The greater the spiritual muscle – the greater the capacity to handle pressure, adversity and prosperity.
However, if we stop taking in the right spiritual food, we will soon have no spiritual energy and become spiritually sick. When this happens, we won’t feel like exercising. Then, if we stop exercising, our muscles will shrivel and lose all their flexibility. Before long, we will become inflexible and the smallest adversities will become too much for our puny spiritual muscles to bear. (2Corinthians 4:7-18)

Playing within the Boundary

Christian Sports Illustration When playing sport, we are free to move anywhere as long as the ball is kept within the boundaries. However, when the ball goes over the boundary line it is no longer in play and a whistle is blown. Thus no goal can be scored from out-of-bounds.

God has given us freedom to pursue many pleasures. As long as we keep within the boundary lines, these pleasures will continue to bring enjoyment and be worthwhile. If we cross the line, God blows the whistle of repercussions.
Sex was designed to be pleasurable within the boundaries of marriage. A glass of wine can be both enjoyable and beneficial, but we are out-of-bounds if we are drunk. Sport, social life, travel, shopping and learning are all legitimate pleasures - a gift from God for us to enjoy; however, when any of these pleasures become an obsession and more important than our pursuit of God, we have crossed the boundary line; then God is forced to blow His whistle. The repercussions may take the form of a nasty hangover, a venereal disease, bankruptcy, a breakup or even a breakdown. When we hear the warning whistle, we must quickly bring the ball back to the field (get back in fellowship) before God is forced to take us completely out of the game.

Navigating the Rapids

Canoeing can be a most pleasant experience - as long as we don’t tip over the canoe. After learning to paddle we can direct our own course. With more practice, we can even paddle safely down rapids – a most exhilarating experience. However, should we should fall out of our canoe, we are instantly at the mercy of the currents and have no control over where we are swept.

Every person is adrift on the vast ‘River of Life’. Sometimes the water is calm and tranquil, while at other times it’s a raging torrent of rapids and waterfalls. When we first become Christians (born-again) we are given ‘Spiritual Life’ (a canoe) to enable us to navigate (understand spiritual truths). However, when we sin, we fall out of fellowship. To get back in our canoe and remain upright (in fellowship in our Spiritual Life) we must name our sins (privately) to God, (see 1 John 1:9). God will then cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Once back in fellowship (upright in our canoe) we are filled with the Holy Spirit and ready to learn more Biblical truths. To advance in the Spiritual Life, we must use our free-will (paddles) to apply the truths and promises we understand. This is what gives us momentum and control in our lives.
If we remain upright in the Spiritual Life and use our volition to apply promises, God will direct us to navigate life’s treacherous spots successfully. Alternatively, if we fall out of fellowship and don’t upright ourselves (by applying 1 John 1:9) it won’t be long before we are swept uncontrollably down the ‘Rapids of Life’.

Sporting Heroes

Christian Sports Illustration Every sporting event has its heroes. A sporting hero is simply a person who manages to do the right thing at the right time in the right place.

‘Life’ is an event greater than any ‘sporting event’ and we are its participants. Life also has its heroes - spiritual heroes. Every Christian has a shot at being a spiritual hero and as long as we’re alive we’re still in the game. All that’s required is to do the right thing at the right time in the right place. Miraculously, two of these have already been taken care of because, whether we agree with God or not, we are born at the right time in the right place. Now, all we have to do is the right thing - and that is choosing God’s plan over our own.
In a sporting event, a player has only a split second to make a right decision. A split second is the difference between becoming a hero or remaining a nobody. Compared to ‘eternity’ our ‘life’ is but a split second. Let us hope, when time has run out and our innings is over, that we don’t eternally regret dropping the ball.

Walking the Walk

Martial Arts What is the good of having a black belt when you are too afraid to stand up for yourself? You may know all the right moves and win many points sparring in the safe, controlled environment of the Club, but if you don’t apply what you have learnt in daily life, you will soon become a walking joke.

Memorising scripture and Christian doctrines may be handy, but of little use if not applied to daily life. We may be a pastor, a priest or have many diplomas in theology, but if for example we are stressing, miserable or judgemental, we are not ‘walking the walk’. When we proclaim the virtues of Christianity, the world demands we ‘put our money where our mouth is’.
In the controlled environment of the Church, we may impress many people with our knowledge of the Bible and scripture quotations. But while we may win many pious-points at church, if we start whingeing, gossiping, maligning and judging in our daily lives, Christianity will be seen as a joke. The world wants to see evidence of our faith. What’s more, God wants it displayed for His glory. When it comes to Christianity – we must ‘walk the walk’, not just ‘talk the talk’. Remember, it’s not how much scripture we know, but how genuinely we apply that which we understand.

God's Professional Fighters

God's Fighters Professional fighters determined to win enter the ring prepared after many long hours of training. They have a plan of attack – a strategy that will penetrate their opponents’ defences. What’s more, they have strong resolve because all fighters inevitably get knocked down. But when down, the ‘professional fighters’ get back up, shake off their temporary setback, reassess the situation and jump back in the ring.

Teachers of God’s Word are like professional fighters. God’s teachers must hit with the Truth, employing various techniques of exhortation and encouragement. Sometimes the Truth will bruise, but the pulpit is no place for pussy-footing or pulling punches – God’s Word should never be watered down or adjusted for political correctness.
When stepping into the pulpit, God’s teachers should be prepared – if not it won’t be long before they are ‘KNOCKED OUT’ from the pulpit. They should keep in mind their job is not to win friends but to win over people to God’s way of thinking.
For these reasons, God’s fighters will often get knocked down. When this inevitably happens, they should not listen to the ‘boos’ or ‘cheers’ of the crowd. The only voice to heed is that of their coach (the Holy Spirit). When knocked down, great spiritual fighters will always get back up, reassess the situation, retrain as needed and return to the pulpit ever faithful to God’s plan. (Acts 18:25)

Running the Wrong Race

Running Christian Race A man raced off to a closing-down sale to buy a TV. He ran so fast that if he had been competing at the Olympics he would have broken a world record. Yet, for all his effort and amazing speed, he did not receive either a gold medal or a lucrative sponsorship - nor was his name listed in the record books. His trophy was a half-price TV he would soon put out for kerbside rubbish collection.

Are we running the wrong race? Are we using our innate energy to gain something of limited value? Why run after material gain or fame when death invariably takes it all away? How does attaining personal riches and glory help us beyond the grave? (Job 1:21a: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return”)
Nothing we acquire on earth can buy our way into heaven. Only by accepting God’s gift of Salvation through believing in Christ can we be saved. Once saved, we are on the starting block. From that point every day is an opportunity to run our race before the Lord. If our life is run in His direction, we not only prevail on earth but become eternal winners with perpetual rewards and trophies complete with a guarantee of everlasting satisfaction. (Hebrews 12:1)

Sitting on the Bench

Christian Sports In professional sport, athletes have contracts that keep them on the team for an agreed period of time. An athlete who does not apply himself during training, or continually drops the ball, won’t be ‘kicked off’ the team while under contract, but can expect to be benched when the big games are on.

When people believe in Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, God immediately ‘signs them up’ as Christians. They now have an unbreakable contract with God, secure for eternity. Once in-Christ (a Christian) we can never be dropped from God’s team – and even after death we will be forever with Him in Heaven.
But if we fail to show up for training (study the Bible) and continually drop the ball (in Christian service), we should not be surprised if God benches us. God only uses prepared people and won’t send Christians onto the field who don’t turn up for training, or whose actions allow the opposition to score.
In the great victory celebration in eternity, when everyone is applauding the Christian athletes who helped score with ‘touchdowns’, we may sadly regret that while the big game was on, we were benched for decisions we made pre-season.

Sparring Partners

Sparring Partners A good coach doesn’t let his prize fighter go into a main fight without preparation. The fighter is trained in many different techniques and initially practices on various punching bags. However, punching bags don’t punch back and so it is necessary for the coach to arrange sparing partners for his fighter to apply and test learned skills before the big tournament.

As Christians, we are God’s prize fighters. Inevitably, we will face a ‘Goliath-situation’, be it a person, an unpleasant circumstance or maybe the greatest test of all – prosperity. God, like any good coach, will do all in His power to prepare us for an event. However, it is up to us as to whether or not we listen or turn up for training.
Learning and applying God’s Word (Biblical Truths) is our ‘punching bag’ stage of training. As we advance, it is necessary for God to bring sparring partners into our lives so we can put into practice the spiritual techniques we have learnt. Thus God allows bullies to enter our life at school, in the workplace, in the neighbourhood and even from the family for the purpose of spiritual sparring. Each is a gift sent from Heaven so we can strengthen our spiritual skills to overcome even greater giants in our future.
King David dealt with bears and lions before he was ready to face Goliath. To each of us, God has sent unpleasant people and circumstances. If we cannot overcome these sparring partners, we surely will be knocked-out when we stand face to face with the many powerful people and nasty circumstances of this world. We must remember, God has allowed every person and situation (especially unpleasant ones) to enter our lives for a very special purpose – spiritual growth and His eternal Glory.

Lost in a Passion

Sports Illustrations In a time of multi-media, it is so easy to lose yourself in your passions. People can be so engrossed in their world of sport, music, television and gaming that they are lost to any other message. When passions and hobbies become the primary focus, how does one ever find out about God?

For centuries, Christian missionaries have been trained and sent to communicate the Gospel to villages lost in dense jungles in Africa, South America, China, India, and such. However, what about those in our communities who are just as lost in their consuming passion? God will raise Christians who know the path, can speak the jargon and can point the way home.
This is why God created many of His Christian sons and daughters with a desire to be athletes, musicians, actors, artists, directors, writers, and such, so they can be missionaries in their own field. Yet it is often felt that these vocations have little to do with Christianity.
God likes Christians to succeed in their endeavours (while exhibiting Christ’s characteristics) so they can reach those people lost in that passion. God knows that sports fans listen to every word from their favourite athlete or coach. God knows when a famous singer, actor, artist speaks; their words are contemplated by their groupies. Those lost in their world of passion may not hear the Gospel from parents, teachers or partners, but ironically will give serious consideration to what is said when coming from their heroes.

Pounding New Members

Martial Arta Martial Art clubs are always keen to recruit new members. However, if a club’s philosophy is to zealously beat new members ‘black and blue’ in order to demonstrate what deficient fighters they are, few would ever return.

When we meet a new believer or a person interested in Christianity, we shouldn’t hit them with our personal list of taboos (on how to dress, choice of acceptable music, games to play or books to read, and such). If we pound them with, “NOW YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN YOU MUST DO THIS AND STOP DOING THAT”, we are not demonstrating any Christian tolerance and shouldn’t be surprised when they flee from Christianity. Our job is to encourage new Christians, not to bruise them ‘black and blue’ with our list of taboos, (often those taboos have no real Biblical standing).
Give new Christians time to find their feet – let them focus on the good news of the Gospel and knowing our Lord Jesus Christ. If changes are needed in their life, God’s Word and the Holy Spirit will reform them from within at precisely the right time without any spiritual bruising.

Ride of a Life-time

Ride of your life When bike riding, it is exhilarating to coast downhill with the wind whistling by. It’s easy to be proud of speeds reached with so little effort. We often forget in these thrilling moments that gravity is doing most of the work. The real test of bike riding is when peddling uphill with the wind against you. Great strength is not built from coasting downhill, but by exerting yourself on the ride uphill.

Our journey through life is filled with ups and down. It is so easy to coast through prosperity when everyone is behind, backing and congratulating us. In positive and encouraging circumstances, life takes little effort and it’s easy to become overconfident.
The real test of character comes when we hit a hill of adversity – the wind suddenly changes and everyone seems against us. Progress can be so agonisingly slow, that we feel it would be easier to give up. However, God allows us to go through times of adversity in order to give us a chance to grow ‘spiritual’ muscle. We have to really focus on God and trust in His Word if we are to move forward. Our future ‘inner’ strength is built from adversity that we overcome today. If life was simply a ride of prosperity, the only thing that would be built is a big, self-absorbed ego.

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