It must be hard being a professional athlete. It might feel like everyone loves you for your skill or what you can do for the team. We can feel like that too sometimes, like our friends or family love us because of how much we succeed. That’s true in life and sports.
There is someone who loves us regardless of what we can offer. Quang found this out for himself. So did John, one of Jesus’s followers—he even wrote a whole letter about it! This love? It comes from God.
Think how much the Father loves us. He loves us so much that he lets us be called his children, as we truly are.
1 John 3:1 (CEV)
The Teammates
Quang
Sport: Soccer
At first, my parents were not happy about me playing soccer. They felt it might be a waste of time. I knew this was because they loved me and wanted the best for me. But because I did well in school and they received good reports about my studies and my soccer, their attitude changed. Today, they support me. This verse reminds me that God’s love is unconditional. Sometimes I feel like I’m not loved, but this verse reminds me that God calls me his child. Even if my parents’ love is conditional because they are imperfect people, God’s love is perfect because he is perfect. If we are truly God’s children, there is nothing we can do to keep him from loving us!
John, Jesus’s Disciple
He’s sometimes called “the Beloved,” because that’s how he refers to himself in his writings. John’s gospel and first letter (called 1 John) center around how God the Father loved us so much that he sent his son Jesus to bring his love to us. You might be familiar with this story.
It starts in a garden, where humans lived with God in perfect love. But then, Adam and Eve, the first humans, became afraid that God’s love wasn’t enough—they thought by following God’s one rule they were missing out on life. So they broke his rule. Because God is perfect, broken people cannot get close to him. But he still loved them because they were his children. He kept making ways to meet with them. That’s the story of the Old Testament.
To fix humanity’s brokenness so everyone could be close to God again, Jesus had to give up his life—he exchanged his perfection for our brokenness. It was a gift we didn’t deserve. Now, through Jesus, we can enjoy God’s perfect love.
The Connection
Why is it important to remember God’s love when playing your sport? Seems like it has nothing to do with what we play or how. But there’s an important word 1 John 3:1 uses to describe God’s love: unconditional. God’s love doesn’t come with terms and conditions, like those pesky pop-ups on websites. You don’t have to sign a contract to receive it, and you don’t have to perfectly follow every rule to receive it either. Jesus loves you, full stop. That may sound cheesy. But isn’t it great to know that in Christ you are loved no matter what? There’s nothing you can do to change that.
Quang found that being God’s child means he’s valued, taken care of, seen, known, and wanted. Imagine the confidence that gives him to go out and play! It’s why John reminds us again and again that we are God’s beloved—this changes how we live. Quang, John, and you, too, never have to seek adoration from fans, friends, or family. God’s love is about what he can do for you, not what you can do for him.
For the Players
Reflect: How does God’s love help you when you feel unloved?
Share: What words would make you feel loved if someone said them to you? Try saying them to a teammate so they feel loved and encouraged.
Take a moment to pray:
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your goodness,
For your unconditional love
That never ends. (1 Chronicles 16:34)
On the hard days
When I don’t feel good enough,
I think about how you love me,
And you call me your son/daughter. (1 John 3:1)
Before the beginning of time,
Before any of my mistakes,
You chose to love me
With a perfect love. (Ephesians 1:3–6)
Teach me how to love others
In the same way that you love me. (1 John 4:11)
Amen.
Press in! Take a moment to read: John 15:13
For Coaches and Parents
Read aloud with your team or athlete!
Sometimes, we can make ourselves pretty unlovable. We can be selfish and stubborn on the field. But sometimes, we try hard to make someone proud of us—maybe by training longer hours or staying late to clean up—and they still don’t give us the love we want. Quang found a way to deal with these feelings, because they do happen. He reminds himself of what is true: God loves him even when everything around him is discouraging.
A question for the team/athlete:
How do you handle not feeling loved?
(Allow a few responses from the team/athlete, then read the follow-up message.)
Follow-up:
Having a plan for when you or one of your teammates feels unloved or unlovable will help you remember what is true: that God loves you. Tie a verse on your bag that talks about God’s love. Practice saying, “I love you” to your family or teammates, even if it feels weird! In this small way, you might get to show someone that’s never known unconditional love what God’s love is like.
