Few things in life are more underestimated than the power of words. Their potential to help or to harm, to build up or to tear down, to strengthen or to debilitate is almost measureless. The Bible reminds us of this several times, saying:

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (Col.4:6)

The apostle James came at it from the opposite perspective…

Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. (James 3:5-9)

We can use the power of words to show grace or we can use the power of words to spread poison—but one thing is certain. Our words have more power than we usually realize. We must be careful how we use them.

Bill Crowder, Sports Spectrum Chaplain

That is the essence of sportsmanship. Going further, however, sportsmanship, at its core, is about respect: for the game, for the competition, for one another. One online source says, “Respect has great importance in everyday life. As children we are taught (one hopes) to respect our parents, teachers, and elders, school rules and traffic laws, family and cultural traditions, other people’s feelings and rights, our country’s flag and leaders, the truth and people’s differing opinions. And we come to value respect for such things; when we’re older, we may shake our heads (or fists) at people who seem not to have learned to respect them. We develop great respect for people we consider exemplary and lose respect for those we discover to be clay-footed, and so we may try to respect only those who are truly worthy of our respect. We may also come to believe that, at some level, all people are worthy of respect.” (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

In a sense, this is an important key to meaningful relationships—and that works whether it is on the playing field or with other believers…

• “Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and import duties, and give respect and honor to all to whom it is due.” (Romans 13:7; NLT);
• “Show respect for everyone. Love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God. Show respect for the king.” (1 Pet.2:17).

How we compete, how we love, how we carry out our jobs, how we build our homes—all have a direct connection to whether we do or do not learn how to respect others. Aretha Franklin sang “Respect”… but we all want it. And we will never practice, model, or teach good sportsmanship without a commitment to it.

Join us tomorrow on Sports Spectrum radio as we take a further look at sportsmanship and respect as we deal with one another in the challenges of life.

Bill Crowder, Sport Spectrum Chaplain

If there was a biblical forerunner of the great, modern athlete it was David. Handsome, victorious, powerful, David had his choice of women—and by taking advantage of those choices he almost destroyed all that God had entrusted to him. It is a cautionary tale about the danger of choices and their consequences, especially in the area of sexual activity. In 2^nd Samuel 11 we read of David’s moral fall with Bathsheba, another man’s wife, and the steps that led to his failure characterize the downward plunge that often precedes sexual sin.

First, David was in the wrong place at the wrong time. At a time when kings went to war, he was not at his post. He was at home relaxing when he should have been tending to the concerns of the kingdom. Often, times of sexual temptation begin with a decision to be in the wrong place. After all, it is hard to imagine that anything worthwhile can really happen in a strip club at 3:00am.

Second, David failed to protect the “eye-gate.” Studies have verified that men are stimulated by sight, which would explain why the Bible warns women to dress modestly. Men can’t always prevent themselves (especially in our sexually charged culture) from seeing certain things—but we can put protections and safeguards in place, while determining not to continue looking when we are faced with unhealthy visual stimuli.

Third, David allowed himself to respond to his desires instead of responding to the value of purity. He took Bathsheba, slept with her, and began a chain of events that would destroy some, harm many, and stain his reputation and kingdom with the after-effects of his failure.

Yes, it is true that Psalm 51 tells of David’s repentance before God, but, in between his sin and his repentance, there was a trail of pain and loss and heartache because choices always have consequences. And sexual impurity’s consequences form a price far too high. Join us tomorrow on Sports Spectrum radio as we continue to look at sexual purity in the world of sports, and beyond.

Bill Crowder, Sport Spectrum Chaplain

Two of my favorite baseball movies are “The Natural” and “Field of Dreams,” and the two films share a common theme—that, to a great extent, baseball is about fathers and sons. In “The Natural,” Roy Hobbs is taught the game as a boy by his father, who then dies prematurely. When Roy reaches big league success, he laments that his father is not there to see it and share in it. Fathers and sons. By contrast, in “Field of Dreams,” Ray Kinsella grows up resenting baseball because he feels his father has forced it down his throat—and he abandons the game to spite his Dad. The death of Ray’s father leaves behind the heartache of a broken relationship that was never restored or reconciled. Fathers and sons.

Sports brings out the best and worst in us, and in our relationships. But as parents, sports also provides a marvelous vehicle by which to teach our children lessons about life that can help to equip them for the challenges they will face in the real world. I have been privileged to coach my sons and to play sports with them, as well as to watch and cheer as our sons and daughter have competed in sports throughout their growing-up years. To be able to share sports with my kids has been, for me, one of the great joys of parenting, but with an important point of balance. The games are not an end to themselves—they are a means for the learning and growth that will, I believe, help to develop character in their hearts and lives. Maybe that is why the apostle Paul used so many sports illustrations in his letters to first century churches. Sports provides a model that kids (and adults) can do more than enjoy—they can embrace the games we play as preparation for the serious business of living in a troubled and challenging world.

The wise Old Testament king, Solomon, wrote, Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention that you may gain understanding…” (Proverbs 4:1). If part of a parent’s role is to impart wisdom and understanding for life to our children, sports is one terrific way to do so. On Sports Spectrum radio we look further at the challenge of parenting, and the role that sports can play in that process. Click below to listen. And, check out the Discovery Series booklet, “How Can A Parent Find Peace Of Mind.” It is available for a free download by clicking here…

Bill Crowder, Sport Spectrum Chaplain

In the ongoing firestorm of the latest steroid controversy in baseball, I have been giving a lot of thought to one of the unspoken challenges in sports—crossing the line. Athletes are challenged, prodded, and even driven to strive for their very best. Practice, conditioning, diet, and training all combine together to form what, for years, the Oakland Raiders have called “Commitment To Excellence.” Through such effort, players like David Eckstein become far more fascinating at some level than the uber-talented player who excels with little effort. Eck worked hard to make himself a big leaguer, and helped the Angels to victory in the 2002 World Series, then was the Series MVP with the Cardinals in 2006 as the ultimate fruit of that labor. It was really special to see the too-small, too-slow, too-weak-armed player at the very pinnacle of the game through hard work.

Sometimes, however, the effort to get to the top causes athletes to “cross the line” into areas that are gray at best, and outright forbidden at worst. Steroids is just one aspect of that. Along the way, there is also videotaping opponents, corking bats, doctoring baseballs, and looking for loopholes in the NASCAR rules for car setup. One saying sometimes heard in the corners of NASCAR garages simply says, “It’s our job to cheat and it’s their job to catch us.” Another is more direct, “If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.”

In considering this competitive line, it is easy to see how it can be blurred. It is easy to see how the pressure, money, and fame of big time sports can cause someone to look for an edge—be it legal or otherwise. But, in the end, everything is cheapened when we cross the line. The game, our competitors, ourselves, and maybe most of all, the success we achieved by cheating. In the end, those victories are hollow because they were unfairly attained.

In life as well, we face the pressure to cut corners and to look for loopholes (especially now in tax season), but we will never win—even if we think we have won. We lose because we have lost our integrity. And that is too high a price to pay for a moment of success—no matter how large the stage on which it occurs. To that end, Paul gave good counsel, “For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.” Crossing the line robs you of a very precious thing—a clear conscience.

Bill Crowder, Sport Spectrum Chaplain