How should a Christian view sportsmanship?

Answer

Sportsmanship is the conduct becoming of a person participating in a sport. Good sportsmanship includes respect for one’s opponent, playing by the rules, and accepting a judge’s final verdict on a win or loss. Those lacking good sportsmanship make competitions unpleasant for everyone. Unsportsmanlike behavior is rude, argumentative, and challenges any decision that does not rule in its favor. Lack of sportsmanship can also involve cheating and passive-aggressive actions such as name-calling, tantrum-throwing, gossip, or slander. In short, good sportsmanship is simply Christian behavior applied to competitions.

A Christian should view sportsmanship as an extension of his or her daily walk with Christ. True Christianity does not remain behind church doors after services on Sunday. True Christianity influences who we are, and Christlike behavior should accompany us wherever we go. Whether we are cut off in traffic, short-changed at the checkout, or visited by Mormon missionaries, true Christianity shapes our responses to life’s challenges. On the playing field, sportsmanship should be the standard for followers of Christ. We do not cease to be ambassadors for Christ when we play sports or watch from the stands.

Sportsmanship allows for friendly banter, traditional rivalries, and even challenging the official’s call in a respectful manner. Opposing football teams offering friendly threats, tackling one another, and cheering when the other team fumbles is not a lack of sportsmanship. However, intentionally violating unspoken rules of courtesy, rebuffing the other team’s genuine extension of goodwill, or causing undue difficulties for the referees or the opposing team is unsportsmanlike behavior, and Christians should never engage in it.

In all things, even competitions, Christians are to represent Jesus well «Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. », (1 Corinthians 10:31). Competition, whether in business or on the playing field, reveals what is truly in the heart. Jesus said, “But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matthew 15:18-19). Unsportsmanlike behavior also exposes what lies within the heart.

When we lose self-control and engage in unsportsmanlike behavior, we do not have to succumb to self-condemnation « There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. », (Romans 8:1). We can allow our fleshly desires to serve as a spotlight to reveal our misplaced values. Temptation and failure can actually work for our benefit if we use them to highlight an area of weakness that God desires to transform. Beneath the surface of our lack of sportsmanship may lie pride, greed, self-seeking, or dishonesty. When we view unsportsmanlike behavior as exposing our sin, we can align with God, repent of it, and express gratitude for revealing an area that obstructs our journey with Jesus (1 John 1:9;Psalm 51:2-3).