Playing to Win: Living with Eternal Purpose
In a culture that often celebrates participation over achievement, there's something refreshing about remembering the fundamental nature of competition: we play to win. This message from our church's first anniversary service challenged us to approach our faith with the same determination, focus, and drive that athletes bring to their sport.
More Than Just Taking Part
Pastor Dave began by questioning the popular notion that "it's all about taking part," tracing this phrase back to Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1908. While participation has value, there's something significant about the hunger to win that we shouldn't dismiss—especially when it comes to our spiritual lives.
Drawing from several passages where the Apostle Paul uses athletic metaphors, the sermon highlighted how the New Testament frequently depicts the Christian life as a race with a finish line and a prize. This isn't about competing against fellow believers but about pursuing the fullness of what God has planned for each of us with tenacity and focus.
Three Principles for Playing to Win
The message outlined three essential principles for those who want to "play to win" in their faith journey:
1. Have a Clear Aim "It is almost impossible to win... if you're not aiming for it," the pastor emphasized. Too many Christians live aimlessly, especially in matters of faith. While we easily develop vision for financial goals or material possessions, we need clarity about our spiritual objectives. What are you aiming for in your relationship with God this year?
2. Maintain Focus Hebrews 12:1 encourages us to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles." Not just some things or a few things, but everything that distracts us from running our race. Distraction, rather than direct opposition, often proves to be the greatest enemy of our faith.
3. Remember You're Not Alone Perhaps the most encouraging principle was the reminder that we're "surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1). The saints who have gone before us—Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, Paul, and countless others—are cheering us on from heaven. Even when we stumble, there's a heavenly host encouraging us to get back up and continue running.
The Ultimate Prize
While the principles apply to marriage, personal development, and other areas of life, the sermon's primary focus was on something far more profound: the eternal prize awaiting believers. Paul spoke of a "crown of righteousness" that the Lord would award not just to him, but to "all who have longed for his appearing."
This perspective changes everything. When we live with eternity in view, making decisions today based on that final moment when we'll stand before God, our priorities shift. The things we chase after look different when we recognize that "gospel goals are actually the only eternal things that you're ever able to win."
As our church enters its second year, the challenge before us is clear: Will we live focused and dialed in on that crown? Will we make God's kingdom and His gospel our central focus? When we do—when we "seek first the kingdom of God"—Jesus promises that everything else we need will be added unto us.
What are you playing to win?