Envision this: It’s a crisp Saturday morning, and you’re sitting on the bleachers watching your kid’s soccer game. You look around, and men of all ages are cheering, grimacing, and living vicariously through every kick, pass, and goal of their kids’ or grandkids’ teams. 

We can’t help it! Whether we’re playing or watching, sports grab our attention and engage us in a way few other things do. But have you ever stopped to wonder why? More importantly, how can we use this natural affinity for something greater—like ministry?

The Natural Connection Between Men and Sports

Let’s be honest: most of us love sports. Whether you are an athlete or just a spectator, sports can tap into something deep within us. Part of it is biological: we’re wired for competition. In sports, we see a reflection of our desire to excel, conquer, push our limits, and come out victorious. There’s nothing quite like the exhilaration of winning, right? 

Sports are sometimes viewed as meaningless games. But if so, why are they so appealing? Many of us at Man in the Mirror think it’s because sports are a microcosm of life. 

Think about it. In sports, you have competition, the process of learning how the game is played, teamwork, rules, coaches and mentors, people with natural advantages, the occasional bad call, people who try to cheat or bend the rules, different positions that match people’s different aptitudes, the endless striving for improvement, having to deal with failure and loss, and picking ourselves up after a loss to get back on the court or field so we can face another challenge on another day. Sometimes, there are even cheerleaders! In other words, sports present us with experiences we deal with daily in our world, but in a controlled context.

So, can sports also help us learn to walk with God? 

Meeting Men Where They Are

Since men love sports, a local gym or playing field is a great place to connect. Sports give us a natural – and fun! – avenue for creating a ministry – a welcome venue for men to help each other become better Christians (while telling their wives they are going to a ministry meeting!)

Starting a sports-based ministry can be as easy as organizing a regular pickup game, hosting a watch party for the big game, or even setting up a fantasy football league. Create a casual, low-pressure environment that allows men to naturally connect over something they already love, breaking down barriers and opening the door for friendship, camaraderie, and healthy activity. But your Sports Ministry will have a unique twist. Each meeting should begin with a short devotional or prayer time and end with a brief discussion on how to apply the lessons used in the game to the quest to become more Christlike. 

Sound difficult? Not really. As we said above, the challenges of sports parallel the challenges within our lives. When you apply the accepted rules of sports to our lives, it helps us simplify what is going on and distill what may seem like a complex problem down to a more straightforward analysis: 

  • Did you fight with your wife? Did you treat her as though she is your competition or as though she is your teammate? What can each of you do to improve your team?
  • Are your children testing you? Did you coach, correct, and work with them so that they could learn and improve? Are you patient and willing to drill your children day after day, or do you expect them to understand after one lesson?
  • Is your boss overbearing and unjust? Are you willing to accept that cross because God put him over you, or will you murmur and rebel – and maybe end up getting benched?
  • How are you improving yourself as a Christian? Are you following the rules and striving to overcome your foes through determination and relentless effort, or are you settling for just being “good enough”?

Even Paul used athletic metaphors to make his points. In 1 Corinthians 9:24, he writes, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.” Paul clearly saw that a sports analogy was an easy way to convey to others how they could conceptualize their faith journey.

Every Part of Your Life Can Glorify God

Many people encourage their children to play a sport because they believe it will teach them important lessons about teamwork, self-discipline, sportsmanship, and other worthwhile values. They’re not wrong. 

But all too often, we grow up and forget what we learned when we were young, compartmentalizing those lessons as though they only apply on the playing field. Though they are present under the surface, we need to resurrect them from the depths if we want to approach life as winners for God. Every day, we are engaged in the only competition that matters: the battle to save our souls and the souls of the people we love. And our enemy is throwing at us everything he has: complacency, indifference, frustration, and discouragement. If we would not lie down and give up if we were playing a basketball game, how can we do that in life? 

Sports can help you and those around you to reflect on your challenges. Envision the lessons of sports as a tool God can use to shape your character. Approach life with the goal of building a better team for God, disciplining your mind and body to avoid sin, strengthening your faith, and encouraging each other to run the race set before us, enduring to the very end to reach your goal: eternal life with God in heaven, together with your whole team.

At Man in the Mirror, our mission is to help men become who God wants them to be, finding and following God in every facet of their lives – including when they’re having fun with their buddies on the court! As a bonus, taking care of the bodies God gave us and using them to achieve and enjoy the exhilaration of sport gives us yet another way to glorify God. A sports ministry can help you and others be more intentional about your recreation. The benefits are truly physical, mental, and spiritual. 

For more information or materials to inspire your own ministry, contact Man in the Mirror.