Reset Your Perspective

We’ve all heard the saying “There is no I in team.” If we’re truly honest, however, there are times we take the field or the court as a coach or athlete, and that ‘I’ tends to become very loud in our minds. We think, “I need to score the next goal,” “I need to be faster,” “I need to win us the game,” “I am the coach, so I have the best strategies,” and on and on. We think it’s all on us to come up with the answer or win. But Philippians 2:3-4 tells us, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”  

Paul, the author of Philippians, is directing and encouraging us to have a Christ-like perspective when it comes to how we compete. We are to compete with others in mind and play for something greater than ourselves. 

Perspective

To compete with others in mind, we must take a look at our perspective on others and on the game. Our perspective can be influenced by various factors: our environment, how we train, our friend groups, how we spend our time, what we watch, etc. One in three people have an eye condition called astigmatism. Astigmatism is a defect in the eye or in a lens caused by a deviation from spherical curvature, which results in distorted images. Just like astigmatism, deviating from God’s Word and purpose for our lives results in a distorted perspective on life, which can impact how we approach competition. A distorted view has an “I” mentality and says:

●       I am only valuable as a teammate or coach if I perform well.

●       My future is defined by my success right now.

●       My identity is defined by my abilities and skills as a coach or athlete.

The good news is astigmatisms can be corrected by a corrective lens, such as glasses or contacts. As believers, we have direct access to God and His Word, which is the corrective lens that resets our perspective.

“So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” –2 Corinthians 4:18

How to Run the Play and Reset Your Perspective

It’s no secret that in order to run a play as a team, you must know and study that play. The more time we spend learning and practicing the play, the greater the play will be executed. There are many accounts of Jesus spending time with His Father—who guided and directed His life on earth—Jesus was often found praying and recounting God’s Word.

“One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and He prayed to God all night.” -Luke 6:12

“Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.” - Mark 1:35

“So He went to pray a third time, saying the same things again.” - Matthew 26:44

If we want to change our view on how we approach competition and aim to execute the play for something greater than ourselves, we must spend time reading God’s Word and in prayer.

Play for Something Greater

When we play for something greater, we have the ability to play beyond right now. What and how we play today can have a significant effect on our future, our teammates' future, and our communities. Spending time on and off the field in God’s Word will give us the greatest opportunity to have a Christlike mentality and implementation of who we are as competitors. Our perspective and focus are no longer fixed on ourselves but on those around us and an eternal relationship with Christ in Heaven. It’s amazing what a little perspective reset will do.

LIVE IT OUT

Theme Verse: “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” - Romans 15:13

Quarter Verse: “Stop fighting, and know that I am God,
exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.” – Psalm 46:10

Question: What is currently distorting your perspective on how you view competing as a coach or athlete? What boundaries or corrective lenses do you need to put in place to be more ‘Christlike’ in these areas?

Challenge: Choose 1-2 players or coaches to pray over this week and ask the Lord how you can serve them. Is it a text message of encouragement, praying with them before a practice or game, or lending a helping hand?

CTA: It’s all about how you look at it. What’s your perspective on competing? Are you playing for yourself, or Someone greater? Maybe it’s time for a new way to approach your play. Learn more about the E3 Discipleship course to walk through God’s Word on your own and with others: E3 Overview Course 



*If you read this article and aren’t in relationship with Christ yet but would like to know more, we invite you to go through FCA’s The FOUR that explains how an everlasting and fulfilling life with God is possible.