"Football is not a matter of life and death, it is more important than that."
Perseverance
But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. Luke 8:15How many times does a sports event go down to the wire - the runner taking the lead at the last second, the goal in stoppage time, the snatching of victory from the jaws of defeat. We can all think of an example from the sport that we follow. "Finish strong" is a well-known and important cliché in sport. Equally we have all seen teams and players who give up when the going gets tough.
The Bible is full of people who started well and then failed to finish strong - Kings Saul and Solomon are two who come to mind. Jesus urged his followers to "hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop". Perseverance is that ability to keep going when the odds are against you, when the game seems lost. There is much in the Bible about perseverance and it is as relevant to our sports life as any other part of life. The player with Christian character should be one who keeps going to the last.
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3-4
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1