From the Podcast:
The pressure to perform well in athletics can be paralyzing. Bryan and Jeff talk about the “identity triangle” and how it can help athletes understand the relationship between athletic life and spiritual life.
God Should Define Our Identity
Your identity in God is how he views you. The Bible shows in Genesis 1 that God created humans in his own image. This means that God set us apart as a special piece of his creation and that he views us as valuable by virtue of being his special creation.
Each person has the “handprint” of God on them. He created us “very good” (Genesis 1:31). Though sin soon entered the picture and infected all of creation (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12) we still bear the mark of our creator upon us. We are valuable because God made us, set us apart, and loves us.
If God Defines Our Identity, Our Identity Defines Our Performance
If we understand that God loves and values us no matter what, our performance grows out of a healthy identity. This means we take both victories and defeats in stride, realizing that they are learning moments, they are opportunities for God to form us, and they are opportunities to honor God.
Many Athletes Go the Wrong Direction on the Triangle
Yet many athletes, even Christian athletes, allow their performance to define their identity and then allow their identity to define their relationship with God. As Jeff says, many athletes become “slaves to the scoreboard.” Not only is this the wrong way to think about athletic performance, but it’s the wrong way to think about the good news of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians:
Ephesians 2:8-10 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Notice the progression. Paul starts by saying we are saved by grace (God). This then defines our identities (we are God’s masterpieces). Our identities as God’s masterpieces then mean we can do the good things God planned for us to do (performance).
Many people, even non-athletes, take the wrong approach to God, believing that if they perform well enough, their identities will be taken care of and they will be good enough to make it to heaven. But we can never be good enough for God because the main problem of humanity is not bad performance, but bad identity or “sin nature.” In theological terms, the problem is that God is holy and we are not holy (Titus 3:3-5).
If we allow our performance to define our identity, we will never truly measure up. Even the world’s top athletes eventually age and can no longer perform as they once did. Many such athletes feel empty when this happens, and it negatively affects their personal and spiritual lives. Why? Because they allowed their performance to define their identity instead of allowing God to define their identity.
If you want to live a meaningful life, you must have the right perspective. The core of your identity comes from God. If you fully trust in Jesus Christ as your lord and savior, your identity is secure in him as a child of God. It means he has created you anew in Christ to do the good things he has planned for you – both on and off the field.
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Do athletics affect your spiritual life? In what ways? Why?
- Have you ever felt like a “slave to the scoreboard” or a “slave to the stats?” Explain.
- What would happen if you suffered a career-ending injury? How would this define your identity?
- Jeff asks: “Which direction are you going on the triangle?” How do you answer this question? Why do you think this is?
- If you’re going the wrong direction on the triangle, what needs to change for you to go the right direction? What steps can you take to make this happen? Who can help hold you accountable and mentor you?
- If you’re going the right direction on the triangle, are you guarding against thoughts and actions that might take you the wrong direction? Are you helping others by showing them what it looks like to get your identity from God? Are you mentoring others to help them along the way?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
