I Am Not Ashamed
Last Tuesday, June 11th, I came across two newsworthy stories about brave, bold, and beautiful people who seize every opportunity to promote Jesus Christ. WHAT? How can they be so outspoken in a world where faith is supposed to be squashed?
Don’t give me that hogwash. Faith-filled children of God have been like that for over two thousand years. Maybe they didn’t start out that way, but they found their compass in Jesus and didn’t keep it to themselves!
Many in the sports world are speaking up, unashamed to be associated with Jesus. Thanks be to God. Here are a couple of examples:
On June 8th, Boston Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzulla touted his Christian faith when asked about the relevance of both head coaches in this year’s NBA Finals being black. He was asked: “Do you take pride in being one of those black coaches?”
Mazzulla responded: “I wonder how many of those have been Christian coaches,” implying that his identity in Christ is more important to him than his skin color. The room went silent for several seconds.
Mazzulla has been open about his Christian faith during his short tenure as the Celtics’ head coach. As his team clinched a spot in the NBA Finals, he spoke about his faith in an interview with Sports Spectrum.. “In the competitive environment that we are in, we are always used to earning something,” he said when asked about the concept of grace.
“When you apply that competitive nature to your faith, it creates a lot of, for me, anxiety, stress, and separation from Christ. So, when I was able to go down the road to grace and understand that I can’t earn it, and I don’t have to be competitive, it’s not a win or loss. It’s an acceptance. That is one of the virtues that we can really show each other in the world today.”
Then there was the University of Oklahoma’s softball team, which made history by becoming only the second team to win three national titles in a row. According to OU head coach Patty Gasso, the Lord told her several years ago, “You’re not here to win games. You’re here to open the door—here to win souls.” Now God is honoring her Christian commitment to the Great Commission in remarkable ways.
OU’s Team captain Grace Lyons was asked by an ESPN reporter how she and her teammates handle the pressure of their competition and maintain their joy. The reporter might not have expected her answer: “The only way that you can have a joy that doesn’t fade away is from the Lord. Any other type of joy is happiness that comes from circumstances and outcomes.”
I am reminded of this scripture as I impress upon us to NOT hold back our faith stories and our witness for having a Savior Who is our CONSTANT – in all the games of life. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes.” Romans 1:16