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Children and Sports

God Expects the Best

by Teresa Kindred

    Children and sports.  The two should be a perfect match up. Athletics
should be an outlet for a child's boundless energy. Do children see
sports as a means of  relaxation and a way to be physically fit?  Or
have our children been taught that "Winning is everything"?

    It isn't unusual for today's best athletes to demand salaries in the
millions. They become rich and famous. They are idolized by children and
adults. They become better known than Elijah, Peter, or Paul.

    From the very first little league game, a child sees adults more
excited over a ballgame than they've ever been over a church service.
Parents faithfully attend every practice, every game. But when Sunday
morning comes, they're too tired to take the family to church.

    What are we telling our children?  That sports are more important
than church?  That a coach expects 110% , but God will take less?
Would a God who required the "best" oil, the "best" wine, the "best"
wheat, the "best" of the first fruits,  really settle for anything less
than our "best"? (Num. 18:12)

   There's nothing wrong with children being involved in athletics. It's
a wonderful way to relieve tension and attain physical fitness.
Competing can teach many valuable lessons, but it's the adults
responsibility to keep things in the proper perspective by teaching
children that  winning isn't everything.

This is no easy task. Especially with examples of inappropriate
behavior by athletes every day on the news. But the truth is, no matter
how disappointed we are if our team loses the big game, we will survive.
And there is much to be said for an athlete who knows how to be a
gracious loser.

   Let's teach our children that the value of competition is in the
friendships they make with team members, and the experiences they share.
Tell them to concentrate on the joy of having done their very best.

  We must be aware that there is a much bigger "Prize" at stake.
Eternity is forever. Our salvation is one game that we can't afford to
lose.

 

About Teresa Kindred

She is a freelance writer, author of two books, columnist and public speaker. She has been married for twenty years and she and her husband, Bill, have five children.  They attend the Pleasant Hill Church of Christ.  Her passions are her faith, family, and her writing and speaking career.

Visit her website at http://www.teresakindred.com/index.html

 

Books by Teresa Kindred

"Mozart for a Mother's Soul"

"The Knot at the End of Your Rope - Ten Ways to Hold on When You are Stressed Out " 

 

This article is copyrighted by the author. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted without permission of the author.