I stopped in Family Christian Bookstores and found a book, Intentional Walk – by Rob Rains, that I read it in 3 days.
I love to hear the testimonies of Christian athletes. When I was a youth pastor I had ‘Christian Sports Day’ every year. I would highlight the Christian testimonies of some of the most popular sports heroes of the 80s. I know these guys aren’t perfect, but it sure helped our teens to know that they weren’t all alone trying to walk the Christian life.
So, when I read Intentional Walk, I highlighted my favorite quotes. Intentional Walk is an “inside look at the faith that drives the St. Louis Cardinals.” I had manager Mike Matheny in Sunday School in Columbus while home as a student athlete at University of Michigan. He’s a great Christian leading a great team.
I would encourage you to read the book. However, just in case you aren’t able to do so, I want to share with you some of my favorite quotes from the book. I hope it’s an encouragement to you.
David Freese (about Psalm 23): “I fight that, to lie in calm waters. It helps me every day, especially in this profession. That’s something I definitely try to do. It’s really easy to get caught up in the game during the season, and when you take the time to read the Word, when you close the Bible, you definitely feel a little different than when you opened it.”
Adam Wainwright: “I can tell you, from experience, and other people will tell you too, that being a believer does not make you weak. Jesus is described in the Bible as meek, not weak. Meek is strength under control. When we have the good Lord, who has created this entire world and is all-knowing, omnipotent, and omnipresent, we have a source of strength that a nonbeliever can’t tap into.”
Lance Berkman: “My faith has been tested from the standpoint of trying not to put too much attention on your performance in the game. Too much weight is placed on the money you can make, the fame that comes with it. Maintaining the proper mentality is a test; not a test of faith, because you still believe in God, but the principles and the way that God expects you to act – that can be tested…. If people doubt the Bible, I say, ‘Just live how it says for a while and tell me if your life is not better because of it.’ It will be. The flip side of that is, look at all of the broken families we have and the other problems we have in society with the people who live without a moral foundation. ‘How is life working out for you?’ It’s not a cure-all because there are still good Christian people that bad things happen to, but the more you live your life from the principles in the Bible, the happier your life is in the here and now, not just after you die. It’s the way to live your life, and the people who disagree with that, I challenge them to do it and see what happens.” Berkman is retired.
Matt Carpenter: “Baseball, in general, is a game of failure. If you live and die only with your success in this game, or any tangible thing, you are just never going to be happy. There are too many ups and downs. You can go a week or even a month without getting a hit. Having faith is the only way I can possibly imagine living life and also playing the game.”
Barret Browning: “This is a sport based on human error, which is why I love baseball more than any of the other sports. This sport is based on doing things consistently. No other sport has an ‘E’ column on the scoreboard. It can be very frustrating. It doesn’t matter if I make a small mistake or an infielder misses a ground ball or an outfielder misses a fly ball. There are going to be errors. It’s overcoming them that’s important. This game has taught me that and helped me with my faith. There are times when things are not your fault but you could have done better. That’s similar to life when things are not your fault, and that you have no control over, but you have to persevere and trust in God that He is going to pull you through.” Browning is currently playing with Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals minor league).
Kyle McClellan: “The analogy I have used for years is that when I come home from a tough game, my dog is always excited to see me. She doesn’t care if I blew the game or not. I like to use that same comparison to God. He doesn’t care either way as long as you come home to Him; He’s always excited to see you.” McClellan is currently a free agent.
Trevor Rosenthal: “I’ve found out how much more important faith is. When you have situations change, and have to make a lot of adjustments, a strong faith helps. It keeps me in check and keeps me humble and on track. You don’t get diverted by outside distractions.”
Skip Schumaker: “My favorite Bible verse is Proverbs 16:9: ‘A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.’ You can plan on having a 3-for-4 game, or hit two home runs, every day, and you can plan on having a healthy family. All those are great things but ultimately it’s not up to you 100 percent. That’s why you have to have faith in Him for your career, your family, and everything else.” Skip currently plays for Cincinnati Reds.
Jason Motte: “Guys ask me, ‘How do you forget about it?’ Honestly, my faith helps a lot. One of my favorite Bible verses is John 3:16, and it is one of those verse that lets you know that no matter what happens, He is there for you. That’s how I feel after I pitch, no matter if it’s a good night or a bad night.”
Matt Holiday: “There were high expectations from a lot of people, including myself, mostly because of the money part of it. But I learned during that period that if everything was easy you wouldn’t rely on the Lord. You wouldn’t grow and you would count on yourself. A lot of life is trials and how you deal with them, and relying on Him to make you a path. You want to always be running toward God and not running away from Him. You have to understand that there is learning to be had…. The sanctification part of being a Christian is a daily battle. We all struggle with sin every day; it’s part of the battle of living in the world. We live for things that are eternal. Being in a community like this helps us battle those things.”
Carlos Beltran: “God opens doors for the ones who seek Him. You become a better person when you sacrifice yourself and work hard and do things the right way. As the Bible says, God will put you in places you have never been before and have never experienced. I give all the power and glory and honor to Him for everything I have done in this game…. To me, it’s real (about his favorite verse – Philippians 4:13). Every day we live it. I apply it to my life eery day. Every time I take the field, I tell Him, ‘I’m doing this in Your name.’ When I want to accomplish things, I feel like I can. But it’s not for myself, but for Him and His glory.” Beltran currently plays for New York Yankees.
Mike Matheny: “Everything that happens to you every day is a test of your faith. I didn’t necessarily give a proclamation of faith to the guys, but they all knew where I came from. I didn’t want to be a hypocrite in their eyes telling them one thing and living my life differently, because you can’t hide it during a major league season. You are together too much. I wanted to be consistent in how I handled myself on the baseball side, and I wanted them to see consistency on the personal side too. Part of my motivation as a manager is the same as it was as a player: that I don’t want to be somebody’s excuse not to find Christ. There’s enough of them out there right now, people who have been misled by Christians. I didn’t want there to be something in my life that would cause them not to find Christ.” (Mike’s ‘Letter to Parents’ when he was a Little League coach in the Prologue is the best I’ve read. I didn’t include it here because it’s too long.)
Do you have any quotes from pro athletes about their faith?
What do you think of faith in sports? Is it appropriate or something that should be left off the field? Let’s talk…