How do you feel when you’re on the way home from a competition… and you lost? Sad. Angry. Disappointed in yourself. The opposite of peaceful. And losing happens all the time, in sports and in life. But we have good news: Jesus gives us a kind of peace you can’t find anywhere in the world.
Receiving that gift isn’t always easy, as Somchai knows each time he competes and loses. John, Jesus’s follower who wrote down Jesus’s words about peace, lost big time: he saw his friend and savior die on a cross. How is peace possible in times like that?
I give you peace, the kind of peace only I can give. It isn’t like the peace this world can give. So don’t be worried or afraid.
John 14:27 (CEV)
The Teammates
Somchai
Sport: Swimming
My parents pray this verse for me on the way to swim meets. I also repeat it before a race. It helps calm me, takes away some of the pressure, and helps me enjoy competing. Jesus gives me a sense of peace and joy. I know that how I perform in a race does not change his love for me. While that’s true, I sometimes still feel pressure before a race, and I have had many bad races. I am learning that I can still have peace and joy even when I don’t perform as well as I hoped. My mother and father encourage me after my bad races. They remind me to thank God whether the outcome is good or bad. I am thankful that my parents never make me feel guilty when I fail—and I do fail. Even when I am disappointed in myself, I know God is good and wants me to keep doing my best!
John, Jesus’s Disciple
Jesus says the words in this verse to his disciples at their last meal together, the same night he is arrested. He is about to be crucified. As John watches all of this happen, he must have been wondering how he could have the peace Jesus describes. He believed Jesus to be God’s son—how could he die? This didn’t make sense. But God’s definition of peace isn’t like the world’s. The world’s peace is based on things going our way—no pain or losing allowed. God’s peace is based on things going his way, which sometimes includes pain and losing. This is good news for John. He would go through a lot of pain and loss, but he could still have peace!
The Connection
Jesus’s peace doesn’t come and go based on how hard or easy your situation is. It’s steady. Like Somchai’s parents tell him, it’s not based on the outcome. God has a plan, and it’s always a good one, even if what we experience doesn’t seem so good. No matter how many times you fail, you can let go of your disappointment! That’s not easy. But God’s peace is a gift Jesus gives so we can know him and enjoy him forever. You can receive it today.
For the Players
Reflect: Think about a time you lost big. Pray to God, ask him to take away your disappointment about that moment, and ask him to fill you with the gift of his peace.
Share: The next time you lose, make a point to tell someone—a friend, parent, sibling, or teammate—that Jesus is the reason why you can still have peace. It might encourage them!
Take a moment to pray:
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the promise of your peace,
For the peace that can only be found in your presence. (John 14:27)
When I begin to feel doubt or disappointment,
I am reminded that life with you is better
Than anything this world has to offer.
Because you are with me,
I will give thanks with all my heart,
Knowing I can rest in safely in your protection. (Psalm 16:9)
You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy,
And by your side, I have every reason to rejoice. (Psalm 16:11)
In times of trouble, I will take heart;
You have overcome the world. (John 16:33)
Satisfy the desires of my heart in your love today,
For the glory of your name.
Amen.
Press in! Take a moment to read: John 16:33
Want more on this topic? Check out Philippians 4:6–7 – Have Peace No Matter the Outcome
For Coaches and Parents
Read aloud with your team or athlete!
In sports, the measure of success is winning. But Somchai is learning a different way to measure success: using the ability God has given him to do his best and trusting God to handle the outcome.
A question for the team/athlete:
What is one thing you can do before a competition and one thing you can do after to remind yourself what true success looks like?
(Allow a few responses from the team/athlete, then read the follow-up message.)
Follow-up:
We still want to win! But our peace as athletes comes from measuring our success God’s way. Life—including sports—is all about him. When we receive Jesus’s words into our hearts and put them into practice, that’s a true win!
