Neymar is one of the best soccer players in the world. The Brazilian professional footballer’s five-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain through June 2022 was worth $350 million. He is the second most famous athlete on social media, with a combined 244 million followers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. He’s also known for giving “all glory to God.” Neymar says he lives to serve Christ. He donned a “100% Jesus” headband after leading Brazil to the 2016 Olympic gold medal and says, “Life only makes sense when your greatest ideal is to serve Christ!”

Exodus 28-29 – Spiritual Service

In Exodus 29, God asked the people to give their best as an offering, which became a regular part of their faith. When Neymar gives his best effort to glorify God on the field, he also makes an offering to the Lord. As it did for the Israelites, giving God our best, not what’s left, honors Him and shows our gratitude to Him for giving us His best through Christ.

In his Handbook on Athletic Perfection, Wes Neal discusses this type of offering. He states, “The apostle Paul wrote that, as a Christian, you can use your physical abilities, including your athletic performance, to express your love for God. He said, “I urge you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God (because of how God showed His love for you on the cross), to present your bodies (consciously dedicate your physical abilities to God), a living and holy sacrifice (dead to your own interests and alive to God’s interests) acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship (the most reasonable way for you to demonstrate your love and reverence for God)” (Romans 12:1).

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete give their best as an offering to God as their spiritual service of worship to express their love and reverence to Him.

Bible Memory Verse – “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD.” Exodus 34:29 (LSB)