"It matters a great deal who is going to win, but not at all who won"
Freedom
I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. Psalm 119:45The Psalmist’s statement seems to be a paradox. Many people see freedom as getting rid of rules, laws and precepts. The Psalmist finds freedom in seeking and living by God’s laws!
Jesus made this statement about freedom: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. John 8:36
As athletes it is hard not to get caught up in a performance-driven value system and identity. I heard of a British footballer who admitted that his demeanour for the weekend was deeply affected by how many marks out of 10 the newspapers had given him in the Saturday match reports.
In track and field it is even more black and white. Was your time under 10/11 seconds or not? You are judged by the time, height or distance.
Of course these things are important. You invest countless hours training and practising to be better. That is a good aspiration.
As Christians, however we have been set free from the need to prove our value by our performance. We are no more valued by God if we win than if we lose, if our time is good or we have jumped badly. By living by God’s standards and accepting God’s values, we are set free from having to prove our value by our achievements.
“In short, we experience true freedom in Christ by knowing Him, walking in His ways, and engaging with the changes He makes in and through our lives as we focus on service to Him and to others. This freedom transcends the human freedoms desired in this world, providing peace in this life and freedom with Christ forevermore”.
https://www.compellingtruth.org/freedom-in-Christ.html