Athlete, You are Accepted
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)
Since you started playing sports you have been conditioned to believe that when you do well, people cheer. When you struggle, the cheering usually stops. More often than not, success on the playing field means acceptance from others. As an athlete, you have spent your life earning everything. Nothing is given to you in athletics.
You may subtly buy into the world’s lie that as an athlete, you must gain your acceptance by proving that you deserve it since your value is always earned, never given. God says that is not true.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says that because of Christ, you are accepted by God as a result of His grace toward you, never a result of works, so you do not need to work harder or prove your worth to others or even to yourself.
God is not in love with the future version of you. He fully loves and fully accepts you now because of what Jesus has done on your behalf. Rest in that today.
