Being a sporty disciple .....

I enjoy watching sport, not all sport but some. I recently discovered a love of Formula One racing. The daftest bit of this is that I can’t even drive myself!

As I looked at the readings for this coming Sunday I could not help thinking about discipleship. In Psalm 139 we read of the knowledge that we are never far from God’s presence. This is good news but the bad news is that it means that God can see when we do things wrong. This, coupled with the reading from Philemon which talks of a runaway slave, reminds me that whilst God loves us and will never leave us, we can never be far from his presence and He sees what we do. 

I want to think about Discipleship. It is a challenge it is following Jesus and being more like him. In the gospel reading (Luke 14:25-33)  there is a call to give everything up for Jesus.

This is where sports comes in. I’m not sporty myself and I like to joke this is because otherwise I would be so good no one else will get a chance! Of course, this is far from the truth. However, I have noticed the sheer dedication of sportspeople to their task. They have a coach who guides them through, they have a goal to do well, and they change their life to reflect a healthy lifestyle. This will sound a little corny, but I actually really believe that discipleship done can be likened to training for a sports event.

Discipleship is about us working out how best to follow Jesus. We have a goal which is heaven, our coach is God, our healthy lifestyle is living more like Jesus. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

I have thought about the way that Philemon (1-21) fits into discipleship and God knowing us. I recently heard a lecture by Dr. Esau McCauley about the letter to Philemon. In this lecture he thought about the possibility that Onesimus (the runaway) may have been a relative of Philemon. If this was the case, then the relationship between a slave and a master changes. It could be someone leaving their family and letting them down.  He also suggested that Onesimus was the slave of Philemon, his master and he had run away. This is the more common view, and the one we all know best.

Of course, in the epistle, Philemon is pleading for Onesimus to be welcomed back and treated well. This makes me think about freedom. On the one hand we can’t hide away from God, but on the other it is He who brings us true freedom. 

This is what makes being a disciple a perfect task. We are following the One who created us, who loves us, who brings freedom. I truly believe that the best way we can ever be is in a relationship with God. Our coach, leading us to be more like Him. The best bit is that in this relationship we can truly be who we are meant to be, people who are both loved by God and who are so in love with God that we will follow Him, knowing freedom and assurance that we are never far from His presence.