Many Christian parents push their kids, no matter the cost, to make it big on a select or travel team. It’s certainly not a sin to sign up a child to play competitive sports, but long training hours combined with an overemphasis on winning at all costs can make sports an idol for both parent and child. Many of these parents see the ultimate goal as a college scholarship or a professional sports career.

A Chicago Tribune article, Go Figure: Pro Athletes Giving in to Temptation, asked, “Do you really want your kids to grow up to be professional athletes?” The article addresses the temptation that professional athletes face. “Look, if there are women waiting at the team hotel every time you arrive on a trip, how long before you start thinking it’s like room service?” asks the author Rick Morrissey. Tim Montgomery, a former 100-meter dash record-holder, explains how easily athletes can be tempted to sin. “You get caught up in the achievements. You get blinded and make terrible mistakes.” While the author wasn’t shocked that many of these athletes give in to temptation, he was surprised by how many parents push their children toward professional sports. “The surprise is how many parents are pushing their kids with the idea of college scholarships or lucrative careers in sports. The pursuit of excellence is a reflection of the best and worst in us, and it’s been leaning toward the worst for a while.”

Numbers 20;27 – Constant Danger

These sports examples remind us of how susceptible we are to sin. In Numbers, the new generation faced this as they were about to enter the promised land. They repeated their parents’ pattern of rebellion against God because they lacked water at Kadesh. When God instructed Moses to speak to the rock to bring water from it, the people’s grumbling drove him to hit the rock in impatience. The result was marked by unbelief, grumbling, and disobedience.

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete recognize they are susceptible to sin even as believers. While they have been freed from the power and penalty of sin, they know they are not free from its presence.

Bible Verse: “And you shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell; for I, Yahweh, am dwelling in the midst of the sons of Israel.” Numbers 35:34 (LSB)