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

Adequate in Christ

I understand the temptation to skip this truth about you and move on to ones that feel more relevant and empowering to your current situation. I understand because I would probably do the same thing. In fact, I almost skipped writing about this truth about who we are in Christ. When stacked up against truths like adopted, empowered, purposed, and hopeful, the idea of us being adequate felt...less than adequate. Especially for a devotional series encouraging you to place a greater weight on your identity in Christ than your identity as an athlete.

In sports culture—and in the corporate world—the word adequate isn’t a positive endorsement. Who wants the label of being adequate? Being just ok, average, or good enough isn’t worth waking up early, putting in the work, and making appropriate sacrifices to attain. We want our skill level and performance described as advanced, not adequate.

More importantly, if God wants us to do everything for his glory, that means prioritizing and pursuing growth in our God-given abilities instead of remaining complacent.

For the Christian athlete, there's a liberating truth in this: our adequacy is not from ourselves, but from God. The Apostle Paul reminds us, "Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God" (2 Corinthians 3:5 ESV). This means that true capability and effectiveness originate from Him. It even redefines what "I can do all things through him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13 ESV) really means. The world often misinterprets Philippians 4:13 as a personal mantra for achieving athletic victory or setting records through sheer will, as if God is a cosmic genie granting wishes for success. But in its proper context, Paul's words in the prior verses speak of learning contentment in every situation, whether in abundance or in need, through Christ's strengthening.

Athlete, our adequacy in Christ allows us to find contentment regardless of the outcome of a competition or any situation in life. It means that whether you succeed or fail in your sport, you can find contentment in Christ because you already possess everything you need in Him. This deep, inner contentment is infinitely more satisfying than external approval or temporary success.

When you understand that your adequacy comes from God, you are freed from the constant pressure to be perfect or to prove yourself. You can approach practice and competition with a different motivation: not striving to earn God's favor or human applause, but playing from a place of already being fully accepted and loved.

This perspective allows you to tap into God's power, courage, and self-control in any situation, whether you are playing at your best or facing a challenge. Your ability to leverage your God-given skill set is optimized when you rely on His strength, rather than being weighed down by the fear of not being enough.

Question to Consider: In what specific athletic situations do you tend to feel inadequate, and how can applying the truth that your adequacy comes from Christ's strength, not your own, change your internal monologue and performance?