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

Hopeful

Hope is powerful. As an athlete, you know the difference it makes. A team that believes it still has a chance keeps fighting until the final whistle. But a team that loses hope gives up before the game is even over. Hope fuels perseverance. It gives strength and keeps you moving forward when everything in you wants to quit.

If we’re being honest, hope in sports often feels fragile. It’s circumstantial—your performance, your health, your team’s record. One injury, one mistake, or even one bad call can cause it to crumble. If your hope is only in your ability or your sport, it will eventually disappoint you.

That’s why when Paul says in Colossians 1:27 that Christ is in us and that He is the hope of glory, it's such good news. Paul reminds us that true, lasting hope doesn’t come from a scoreboard or a circumstance—it comes from a Savior who lives in you.

Athlete, if you are in Christ, you carry within you the unshakable hope of glory: the promise of eternal life, the assurance of God’s presence, and the guarantee that you are secure in Him.

This means hope is not something you have to chase—it’s something you already possess. It’s not dependent on whether you win or lose, succeed or fail. It’s rooted in the unchanging reality of Jesus Christ living inside of you.

And this hope isn’t just about the future. It shapes how you live today. Hope in Christ gives you the strength to persevere in the face of adversity. It gives you peace in uncertainty. It allows you to encourage teammates who are struggling. It gives you joy that goes deeper than circumstances. In a world where so many athletes are defined by pressure and performance, you get to live as one defined by hope.

Question to Consider: How would your outlook change if you truly believed Christ in you is your unshakable hope?