Athlete Identity Crisis: 30 Days to Understanding Your Identity in ChristNäide

Eternal Identity

Sports are full of temporary highs and lows. A championship banner, a personal record, or a highlight moment can feel like it will last forever—but eventually, time moves on. Records are broken. Trophies gather dust. Even the best athletic careers eventually end.

We all know this is true, but we still choose after the faded glory that sports offer.

One of the easiest places to witness this is on ESPN, a day after a championship is finished. It doesn’t matter if it’s the Super Bowl, NBA Championships, Olympics, or Little League World Series; the conversation is always the same: Where does this team rank amongst the all-time greats, and who is the favorite to win it all next year?

Instead of basking in a championship, we always have to measure where it stands in history, and we’re so quick to move on to focusing on the season. What’s in front of us never satisfies us the way it promised.

Maybe that’s why Paul reminds us not to fix our eyes on what is temporary but on what is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).

This perspective doesn’t make sports meaningless—it makes them meaningful in the right way. When you realize your worth doesn’t depend on temporary success, you can play with freedom. You’re no longer chasing identity through victories but using victories as opportunities to glorify God.

And when you learn to embrace that you will live in eternity with God, it brings a perspective to your next competition that hopefully allows you to approach it with joy instead of crippling pressure. After all, if we get to spend eternity with God, is it worth stressing out about the next sixty minutes of a game?

Athlete, part of your God given identity is that you are made for eternity. Let that sink in for a moment. Your eternal identity as His child is far greater than any scoreboard, medal, or stat line.

Question to Consider: What temporary things in sports have you been tempted to build your identity on, and how can you refocus on the eternal identity you have in Christ?