“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” — 1 Samuel 16:7
Fruit Of The Spirit
In sports, team success is quantified by wins and losses and championship trophies. Individual success is measured by winning awards, batting average, quarterback rating, sacks, field goal percentage and strokes below or above par.
These are just a few examples of how success is measured in the sports world. I was thinking about this and starting to pray for God to identify how He measures success. One thing is for sure: He does not judge our success with a spiritual batting average. I know myself; I have failed many times.
So how does God gauge our Christian walk and growth? Well, in 1 Samuel 16:7, God reminds us that while others may look at outward appearance, God looks at the heart. In this verse, we see that our heart attitude is what matters most. When our heart is in line and in tune with God, we begin to show and bear fruit — the fruit of the Spirit. God identifies the following character qualities as fruit in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
So a way to identify how our character is developing is to pray daily about these character qualities. We can directly ask God, “How did I show kindness today?” Or, “Did I display the gentleness of Jesus today?” Or, “I am feeling very drained and Lord, I need you to impart Your patience to me, today.”
In the sports world, statistics and awards matter to fans. But God is looking to build and improve our character daily so it more accurately reflects His Son, Jesus Christ.
— Tim Sears
If you would like to submit a reader devotional, please email all submissions to jason@sportsspectrum.com.
