What is the Difference Between Traditional Sports and Christ Centered Sports and Games?

You may be wondering, what is the difference between traditional sports like pickleball and ping-pong verses Christ-Centered sports? In short, when you choose to do Christ-centered sports or games or activities, and live your life in a Christ centered way; then in all of your interactions, you put far more importance on relationships than being concerned about who happens to win or lose the game. You choose to be very careful and wise with every thought and word that comes out of your mouth – – no swearing, no unkind words toward yourself or others, no anger, etc. even if you lose an important point or game. 

You choose to be kind, respectful, loving, patient, and giving and serving toward everyone you are dealing with in every interaction – – – as Jesus Christ taught us to by the amazing example of His life and by His teachings – – – even when you have just lost an important point or game in pickleball or ping-pong, or if you are in a stressful situation or having a bad day, and someone is being grouchy toward you at work or at home or wherever you may be. 

When you choose to live your life in a Christ centered way, you keep in mind that relationships matter most and bring the most joy and inner peace during our very short time on earth and forever afterward – – – not “things” that money can buy, like big fancy homes, or cars, or wealth, or fame, or a beautiful body, or worldly pleasures, etc. I have gradually and prayerfully learned for certain over my years on earth, that nothing that money can buy is worth much compared to the amazing gifts or fruits of the Spirit that our loving Father in Heaven freely gives to those who simply choose to follow His teachings with full purpose of heart. 

I have two very important questions for each of you to ponder on: 

Question # 1: What do you think is more joyful by at least 10 times as much – – – traditional sports or Christ centered sports? – – Yes, you are absolutely right that there is far more joy in living according to the joy-producing teachings of Jesus Christ, because truly, all real joy during our short time on earth, and forever afterward is in the quality of our trusting and loving relationships with God, self, family members and others. 

Important question # 2: What do you think is more joyful by at least ten times as much – – – a traditional life or a Christ centered life? – – – Yes, you are right, that a Christ centered life is far more joyful than any other kind of life, because it greatly blesses and strengthens all of our most important and most joyful relationships.

A very wise person taught that “there are truly only two ways to experience real joy. One is by feeling real love from someone, and the other is by feeling real love for someone.” No amount of money can ever buy real joy. And if you pause to ponder on it, that is great, because otherwise that would not be fair at all if our loving Father in Heaven designed things, so that you could buy real happiness or joy with money, because many people grow up in impoverished conditions, and with very little opportunity to ever get much money. 

One of our goals with our Christ centered Sports and Games activities, is to have fun together as friends. However, the most important and most joy-producing purpose of Christ centered sports and games is, that we all help each other to gradually train our thoughts, habits, and the inner-spirit part of us to become more Christ-like, and loving and kind, so that we can all experience more real joy, love, inner-peace, and more trusting and loving relationships with God, self, family members, and others during our short earth school and testing period and for all eternity. 

I would like to share a little Riddle with you. Please listen carefully, and see if any of you can figure out the answer to this riddle: 

As I read the Riddle, please try to figure out who or what the answer is: 

Who Or What Am I? 

I am your constant companion.
So I am your greatest help or heaviest burden.
I will push you onwards or drag you down to failure.
And I am completely at your command.
Half the things you do, you might just as well turn over to me and I will do them quickly and correctly.
I am easily managed; you must merely be firm with me.
Show me exactly how you want something done and after a few lessons, I will do it automatically.
I am the servant of all great men and women and, alas, of all failures as well.
Those who are great, I have made great. Those who are failures, I have made failures.
I am not a machine, though I work with the precision and repetition of a machine, plus the intelligence of a human.
You may run me for profit or run me for ruin, it makes no difference to me.
Take me, train me, be firm with me, and I will place the world at your feet.
Be easy with me and I will destroy you.
Who am I?
(Can anyone tell us who or what I am?)
I am Habit.

The following is a great Power Quote from John Dryden: “We first make our habits, and then our habits make us.” 

I like to think of our short time on earth as an earth-school learning and testing period, because that is what God described it as in the scriptures that He has given to us, to guide our lives in the most joy-producing and progressive ways.

In the daily game of life, about once or twice a day, someone does something to annoy us or get us frustrated, and we thereby have the opportunity to choose; will I pass this earth school test by choosing to react with kindness, respect, courtesy, compassion, and love, as Jesus Christ taught us to do by the example of His life and teachings or not. 

Every few seconds while playing pickleball, ping-pong, tennis, basketball, and many other sports; the point or game either goes our way or our opponent’s way – – – which gives us the wonderful opportunity every few seconds to work at training our thought process and “habits” to always react with kindness, respect, courtesy, encouragement, caring smiles, etc. – – – or the opposites, – – – toward ourself, our team-mates, and our opponents – – and even toward God, who sees all things.

Please pause to ponder on the following: If you have developed some painful relationship-damaging habits over time of sometimes reacting with impatience, whining, grouchiness, selfishness, or anger, etc., when something does not go your way; and you and your family would rather enjoy trusting and loving relationships; then with God’s help, you can prayerfully overcome those painful habits by re-training your habits and thinking while enjoying good relationships with our Christ Centered Sports and Games Activities. 

If we choose with each point of the Christ Centered game or sport to work at training our minds and habits to react with kindness and respect toward each person in the competition, including ourself, our team-mates and opponents; – – – even when we or our doubles partner makes a mistake; then we will learn to build and maintain many joyful and uplifting friendships – – – which means a happy, joyful, and thankful life on earth and forever afterward. 

There is no more important or joy-producing habit that we can develop than the habit of sharing kindness, love and service toward our family members and others.