Loyalty to friends and loving our rivals
You’ve heard the verse Proverbs 18:24: “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” This verse could also be applicable to sports. Loyalty is rare now a days, but it doesn’t have to be. When people are loyal to each other camaraderie happens and when that happens then you truly see the power of loyalty come into place. Loving our Rivals.
One example of loyalty is fans to their teams. There is nothing like being loyal to your team no matter what happens. The same could be compared to our lives spiritually… Are we loyal to Jesus no matter what? Is He our number one priority through life’s greatest difficulties? If we were as loyal to Christ as we were to our teams how much stronger in our faith would we be?
Another verse that is applicable is this: John 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” In sports and in life God has called us to sacrifice our own needs and wants for others. Whether you’re called to take one for the team by sacrificing yourself on a particular play. Or by giving up your time to help someone in need, God wants us to not only be loyal, but to show sacrificial love that can possibly change someone’s heart or point of view.
Loyalty to enemies
In addition God calls us to be loyal and sacrificial not only for our friends, but also our enemies… Luke 6:27-28, “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”
In sports we have this thing called rivalries… And I am guilty of this as well… We tend to “hate” the opposition because they beat us or there is just bad blood. What if we were loyal and sacrificial to them? What if we showed sportsmanship and congratulated them on their wins! How radical and different would that be?!
If you want to be different, unique, and authentic for Christ… This is it! If you want to show the world you are radically different and want to make a difference… Cheer for your enemies to do well and pray for them!
Loving our Rivals
Now what I am not saying is you have to become a fan or supporter of that team. But instead of hating them, look at them as a potential to bring God’s love to. My friend who is a Seminoles fan and I’m a Gators fan and it is a huge rivalry. Yes, we’ll joke and make fun of each other’s teams, but were loyal best friends regardless of who our team is. This is what it looks like loving our rivals.
What if we became friends with fans of teams we really don’t like? What if we were as nice to them as we are people with the same team as ours? Christian or non-Christian it could be a huge shift in how the world works and how we relate to our “enemies”. Would it be so bad to befriend the rival team by loving our rivals?
In reality loyalty and having sacrificial love is what is going to radically change this world for the best including loving our rivals. If we are as loyal to Jesus as our sports team just imagine the type impact we could have on this world! If we are passionate and sacrificial towards our enemies as much as our friends just imagine what kind of an impact that would make on our world!? That would definitely change everything.
