Cheering Christ

I love to cheer for famous athletes who are Christians.  When Tim Tebow and Jeremy Lin are successful, I cheer.  I cheer because I feel a connection with them through the faith.  I cheer because they often thank the Lord for their success and I like to see Christians honor Jesus publicly.

Josh Hamilton is also a famous athlete who is a brother in the faith.  He has had a tremendous amount of success.  In the midst of that success, he has also had some personal and public challenges.  Hamilton, one of the best hitters in Major League Baseball, has wrestled with drug and alcohol abuse for most of his adult life.  He credits his faith in Jesus Christ for success on the field and in recovery. 

Earlier this year, Hamilton had a relapse and made some poor decisions.  He held a press conference to apologize and recommitted to his recovery.  He said that his recovery is a day-to-day process.  He went on to say, “My recovery is Christ.”  Meaning: Hamilton’s sobriety is rooted in a day-to-day walk with Jesus.  Like Tebow and Lin, Hamilton was giving credit where credit is due.  Though this certainly wasn’t a high moment in Hamilton’s career, I found myself cheering for Hamilton the way I cheer for Lin and Tebow.

It is easy to cheer for Christian athletes during the high times.  We cheer when they give credit to the Lord after a big win.  We cheer when they thank Jesus after winning an award.  We can also cheer those who call on Jesus after heart breaking failures too.  After all, “my recovery is Christ” is a true statement for every single follower of Jesus.

Going through the coming week, remember that your “recovery is Christ.”  As you do, celebrate when your brothers and sisters seek Christ, no matter the circumstance.  People in our lives are navigating victories, failures, and everything in between.  When those brothers and sisters turn to Jesus, and give Jesus credit for success, celebrate it.  Jesus certainly deserves the praise.