More Than a Game

Article by Guest Author, David Kosydar

“It’s just a game.” We’ve likely heard this phrase before – often in a context to minimize the value of sports. Sometimes it is an attempted consolation after a loss. Other times it is a perspective expressed when the intensity is seemingly unreasonable. So IS there an appropriate response? Is there a CHRISTIAN response to sports? Perhaps it is more helpful to first consider: Does the Bible have anything to say about it?

The Old testament has a book called Ecclesiastes. It was written by King Solomon in the latter years of his reign, evaluating all he had accumulated in his life. In the first 11 chapters, we find the king depressed, mirroring a post-modern skepticism that everything is temporal and thus meaningless. A hallmark phrase throughout the book is “Vanity of vanity, all is vanity!” These vanities include labor, wealth, and even wisdom itself. While Solomon doesn’t directly reference sports, more than once he sums his musings with the phrase “everything under the sun.” That would include sports. So, at first glance, yes, a Biblical argument can be made that any sport activity is nothing more than a game.

However, if we look closer, we see that Solomon did not end on that notion. The conclusion of the book leaves us with the hopeful perspective that we can find meaning in all activity when done with a healthy reverence and submission towards God. It is from this perspective that we can make an argument for the value of sports. The case can be broken down in 4 steps:

God created all things – including sports
Sports apply to everyone – not just the athletically gifted and sports enthusiasts
God created our capacity to engage in sports
We can glorify God through sports

God Created All Things – Including Sports

In the opening of the gospel of John, the writer describes the Christ, God incarnate, as Creator: “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” (John 1:3). The latter half of this verse drives home the point that nothing exists without being created by God. That includes sports. Sure, man may have invented the various games and their respective rules, but God created the building blocks, such as the physical abilities to participate, the creative minds to develop the rules, and even our internal drive for healthy competition. While it may seem trivial to some, it is important not to miss that God created play.

Sports Apply to Everyone

It’s easy for those who are not naturally athletic or inherent sports fanatics to dismiss the sport world as something not for them. However, this is a narrow view of sports. If God created sports as a gift to us, where do we see it manifested in ourselves and in society? To answer this question, it might be helpful to have a base definition of sports first.

In 1992, the European Council offered the following definition of the sport industry in the European Sport Charter: “all forms of physical activity, which through casual or organized participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships, or obtaining results in competition at all levels.” This is a very broad definition that is not exclusive to athletes. Terms such as “all forms,” “casual participation,” and “forming social relationships” vastly widens the scope of who this applies to.

Professor of sport economics Chris Gratton framed the wide net that encompasses the sport industry in The Economic Importance of Modern Sport, published in an issue of the journal Culture, Sport, and Society. When measuring the economic impact of sports, he argues that it extends far beyond elite competition. Rather, “mass participation” activities such as walking, swimming, gym memberships, etc. account for a much larger share of the sport industry. In other words, activities often deemed as recreational – walks at the park, trips to the bowling alley, or some laps around an ice-skating rink – are all forms of sport participation. Thus, individuals who may not deem themselves as athletes are very likely to still engage in sports and may not even realize it.

God Created our Capacity to Engage in Sports

If God created sports, and anyone is capable of engaging in them on some level, then it is only reasonable to conclude that He created our ability to participate in these sports. In his famous sermon on Mars Hill, the Apostle Paul noted that “In Him (God) we live and move and be” (Acts 17:28, emphasis mine). While the context of the sermon was not directly referring to sport activity, the principle of this verse has a natural application to it. The base requirements to participate in sports are to:

Be living
An ability to move
Be present on the field or court of play

This passage directly tells us that all these abilities come from God.

We Can Glorify God Through Sports

Looking back at the example in Ecclesiastes, we see that the significance of “everything under the sun” is not found in the items themselves, but how they are applied. In a vacuum, yes, sport activities are just a game, just a round of golf, or just a trek around the park. However, in the New Testament book of Colossians we read, “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,” (Colossians 3:17). Thus, the manner in which we participate in sports is how we glorify God.

Some kids playing a pick-up game at the park can demonstrate good sportsmanship because they are motivated to “conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27). Two friends can go to the gym together to hold each other accountable because they believe in “iron sharpening iron” (Proverbs 27:17). An individual can set out to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation on a hike, bike ride, or fishing trip because they know “the heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1). These are small yet impactful examples of how sport engagement can be used as an outlet of worship by Christians everywhere – not just the athletes.

Thankfully, sports are not “just a game.”