"Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play…it is war minus the shooting."
Things that last
Isn't it amazing how quickly things change. Who can remember last year's trophy winners? How quickly are ex-players forgotten!
Peter makes a clear contrast between things that last and things that don't.
He writes, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall" (1 Peter 1:24).
In contrast he talks about two things that will last forever - the word of the Lord (1Peter 1:25) and our inheritance. To make sure we get the point he says that our inheritance "can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:4).
We believe passionately that sport is part of God's creation and is an arena where we are to serve God. Sport is important, especially for those of us who earn our living in sport. We are thrilled to think of Christian people who have used their God-given talents to win World Cups, World Championships, Olympic medals or county titles.
But sport, like everything in this world will end one day. We need to be involved in sport with one eye on eternity. We need to focus on the Word of God that will last for ever rather than on the words of the coach (if there is a conflict between the two) and on our eternal inheritance with God.