"It matters a great deal who is going to win, but not at all who won"
No fear
The Lord is my helper I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? 13:6Fear is prevalent in sport. We fear failure and defeat. We fear not being selected. We fear not performing to the standard we know we are capable of. While we have not space to develop this here there is a sense where we can fear winning and its consequences for our lives.
I recently interviewed an elite athlete who told me that as she prepares to run, she reminds herself of the words of 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline”. She focuses on God’s love and power and gets rid of fear.
If God is in control and if God will love me just as much after the race as before it – regardless of the outcome, then what have I to fear?
1 John 4:18 expresses the same thought: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
As we complete, let us do it with the confidence that God is in control and that God is with us. So tell me again why we should be afraid?