SubscribeTennis and faith both start with love
Time seemed to extend itself, giving me the longest 30 minutes I have ever experienced. After a year-and-half-long hiatus due to a messed-up shoulder, I returned to the tennis courts for early-morning volleys with my husband this week. I leapt and stretched in ways I had not moved in a long time. I felt great, energized. (At least until later in the afternoon when I could hardly walk, but that’s not the point of this. I did manage to go out again this morning.)
Tennis is a sport I enjoy, though I’ve not devoted the time it takes to get good at it. I watch it on television sometimes, especially when the Williams sisters are playing. After returning home from the courts yesterday, I got drawn into watching Serena Williams and Samantha Stosur battle it out in the French Open women’s quarterfinal match. Serena rallied strong after a halting start but unfortunately lost.
When I play at or watch tennis, I cannot help seeing lessons for living the faith life. Such was the case while playing with my husband and later watching Williams and Stosur.
One of the primary lessons I’ve observed from tennis and other sports is that being the top-ranked player is not a guarantee that you will always emerge victorious. To stay number one, you have got to work at it and not give the other person – who is also out to win – a break because you are not playing to the absolutely best of your ability.
Doing our best at all times is also what God expects of those who are engaged in living a life of faith. We are to at least try to do our best and not “play small,” as one writer put it. Fortunately for us, we have a God who helps us when we find ourselves failing.
I have more, but here are three other observations about tennis and faith:
- The starting point for both is love. Scoring in tennis begins at “love-all,” which means each player begins at the same point. According to one online reference, AskOxford , “It seems to have been adapted from the phrase ‘to play for love (of the game)’ (that is, to play for nothing).” Anoher explantion is here: For believers, a good starting point is Jesus’ commandment of love found in Matthew 22:37-40 and Mark 12:28-34. We are to love God with all our hearts, souls and minds and love our neighbors as ourselves. (I know that second part may be harder for some but to really get good at this faith thing, it has to be done.)
- Both require lots of practice. You cannot get great at tennis without learning and practicing the basic techniques. The more you swing at, hit, volley and serve the ball, the better you will become. Similarly, the more you pick up your Bible and read it, the stronger your faith will grow. And the more you practice the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, meditation, study and solitude, the more stamina you will have against the on-slaught of trials in your life.
- Both take focus. You have to keep your eye on the ball as it leaves your opponent’s hand so you will know where to move and to position yourself to make contact and to successfully score a point. On the faith journey, you also have to maintain focus and keep your eyes on the prize. When we move, breath and have our being in God, we position ourselves for a life of faithful and fruitful living.
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