Saturday, February 4, 2023

Winning is Not The Purpose: Soccer Lessons


"Winning is the point but it's not the purpose."
   Why do people play sports? Some people play for fun. Others play because they want to stay in shape. Still, others play because they are competitive. Being competitive isn’t a bad thing. In fact, being competitive helps us survive sometimes (you know, if you are in a jungle or in a classroom filled with preschoolers who just had cupcakes :D There are people out there that take being competitive too far. They believe that winning is everything. That's not a good attitude to have.
   That's why I began saying, "Winning is the point but it's not the purpose." We play sports ultimately to win. That's the point of the game. But, winning isn't the purpose. Sports teach us so much more that help us in life. Pat Summitt put it this way: "Winning is fun... Sure. But winning is not the point. Wanting to win is the point. Not giving up is the point. Never letting up is the point. Never being satisfied with what you've done is the point." Sports help make us better people. They help teach us to never give up. If you lose a game you can choose to wallow in grief or you can choose to get back up and do better the next time. That's why winning isn't the purpose. The purpose of sports is for us to learn lessons that will help us go far in life.
   We may not feel like we are winning in life. But, winning isn’t the purpose of life. Besides, we are not required to win in life. Jesus already won for us. 1 John 5:4-5 says: "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" The point of our lives is to accept Christ as our personal savior. That's why we are here. But, once we do that, we then have a greater purpose. Our purpose in life is to spread the word so that others can be saved and to grow closer to God. We have overcome the world in Christ. We should want to share that with others so they can be winners and saved as well.
   So, do you believe that winning is everything? Do you know what your purpose in life is? Have you accepted Christ as your personal savior?
   Image from here.

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