Dunking, Base-Stealing and Quarterback-Sacking to the Glory of God

Stephen Altrogge's new book proclaims a message that will encourage and challenge athletes, fans and fathers with sons and daughters who love the games people play: Don't waste your sports! In Game Day for the Glory of God: A Guide for Athletes, Fans & Wannabes (Crossway), Altrogge exhorts believers to understand sports in light of 1 Corinthians 10:31: as God-given gifts that provide keen opportunities for growth in sanctification. Altrogge serves as a pastoral intern at Sovereign Grace Church of Indiana, Pennsylvania. He has written several worship songs for musical projects produced by Sovereign Grace Ministries. He enjoys both playing and watching sports and describes himself as a "borderline fanatical" follower of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The author begins by establishing the centrality of the pursuit of the glory of God in all of life, then seeks to show that sports are a God-given gift that may bring great joy to the particihepants when properly viewed in terms of biblical priorities. For example, Altrogge argues that athletes should view their talents and abilities as coming from God. He encourages them to establish a game-day priority of playing with all-out passion, but with a passion tempered by humility, self-control and dependence on God. 

He also deals with the difficult issue of winning and losing. Virtually every sporting event above the level of t-ball produces a winner and a loser. Both winning and losing are fraught with sinful temptations, Altrogge points out, including the temptation to believe that victory has been accomplished purely by human abilities, the temptation to desire the self-centered glory that comes with winning, the temptation to see winning as a vindication of our human talent and the temptation of prideful superiority that leads to self-worship. The remedy? A keen awareness of the pervasiveness of sinful pride and an acknowledgement of a deep need for the Gospel.

"The common thread of sinful pride runs through each of these temptations," Altrogge writes. "Pride causes us to believe that our athletic success comes from our own powers and abilities. Pride causes us to strive to maintain a certain image in hope of receiving praise from others. We must identify the sinful craving for worship that drives our desires for achievement, image, vindication, and superiority. Then we must crucify those desires through the application of humility."

When children play sports, Altrogge notes, they learn values and priorities that will stay with them throughout their entire lives. Sports provide a unique laboratory in which parents may instruct their children in godliness, he writes: "Our children won't learn to play sports in a God-glorifying manner apart from rigorous spiritual training." Even as they encourage their children to participate in sports, Altrogge writes that parents must:

• Help their children savor Christ. When Christ is seen as the ultimate treasure, sports and athletic heroes will not become idols.
• Help their children set godly priorities in direct contrast to the world's agenda for sports, which include self-deifying success, "win at all costs" victory and personal glory. Athletes should aim to win, Altrogge writes, but the priority in sports must be a deep humility that recognizes the ability to play and enjoy sports is a gift from God.
• Help their children see the big picture. "The first and highest priority in the life of our children should be their relationship with God," Altrogge writes. "This takes precedence above all else. Sports, though not inherently wrong in any way, can have a poisonous influence on our children's walk with the Lord." Sports, in terms of a time commitment, must not be allowed to splinter the family, he asserts.

The author concludes with a challenge:

"Let us resolve not to play sports passively but to take full advantage of the opportunities they provide. Before you step onto the playing field, ask God to help you play sports in a way that brings him glory. Ask him for conviction of sin and for the power to put that sin to death. Parents, you can help your children in this area as well. Don't simply drop them off and pick them up from practices and games. Don't think that your responsibility ends with attending games. Rather, before each practice or game take a few moments to help your children prepare their hearts."