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

Rooted in Christ, Not Comparison

Every athlete knows the comparison game. Who runs faster? Who gets more playing time? Who has more followers online? Comparison is sneaky. It creeps in at practice, in the locker room—even while scrolling through social media. Before you know it, your identity feels shaky because someone else looks (or is) better than you.

Let's be clear about this from the start, too. Comparison is part of sports, and it’s not all bad. One team wins. One team loses. Some players will comparatively play better than others. But because sport is life with the volume turned up, we have the tendency to place additional value on the result of a game. We don’t just win, we’re now winners. We don’t just lose, we are losers. Can you see the danger in finding identity through comparison in sport?

Scripture warns us not to measure ourselves against others. Paul tells us in Galatians 6:4 to test your own actions. That means look honestly at your effort, faithfulness, and growth. Did you give your best today? Did you honor God with your attitude? Did you take a step forward, even a small one? That’s the measure God cares about—not how you stack up against the teammate next to you.

In John 21, Jesus had this conversation with Peter. After the resurrection, Jesus restored Peter and gave him a mission: “Feed my sheep.” But Peter, wanting to compare himself to others, immediately turned and asked about John. Jesus’ reply was sharp, essentially telling Peter to worry about himself and focus his attention on Him.

The same principle applies to us as athletes. God didn’t create us to be someone else. He gave us our own gifts, our own roles, our own stories. So, let's stop looking for our identity through the trap of comparison and trust that what we’re chasing after and performing for (acceptance, contentment, love, joy) has already been freely given to us by God.

Question to Consider: Where are you most tempted to compare yourself to others in sports, and how can you focus instead on God’s unique calling for you?