Does God Care About Sports?

If I had to identify the single best wondering among Christian coaches, it’s definitely: Does God care about the outcome of games?

Yes…..and…..No

I’m sorry but that’s the answer.

Yes. He cares about us. All of us. He loves and died for every human. He knows what’s on our hearts. Some of us were made for sport. Our souls crave it. That’s who God made you to be! And if he made you to be that way, he certainly has a plan for it. 

“But Hunter, there’s just no way he cares if someone wins or loses because when there’s a winner there’s also a loser.” Great point!

No. I don’t think he is sitting in Heaven with popcorn and a soda watching our games on a couch. Surely if he was, Elijah and Peter would be with him (I imagine they would be athletic studs if they were here today so I’d assume they’d be down to watch a game). Quite frankly, I don’t imagine that God generally has anything he cares about more than our salvation. 

So in that sense. No, I don't think he cares about who wins the Packers vs Bears game.

But here is how I view his “Care factor”. I look back at my coaching career. Do I think he really was affected by my team winning playoff games? Probably not. But, here’s what I do believe he cares about and planned…

Because of my success in a single season I had coaching credibility. Because I had coaching credibility I was able to launch a coaching podcast. Because I launched a coaching podcast, I was encouraged to write a book. Because I have a podcast and book, now I get to speak to coaches and leadership experts from across the country. When I talk to those people I get to share the Gospel and what Jesus means to me and my soul. And now many reach out to me to say thank you for not being afraid to live in the sports space with a bold faith.

Now hang with me here. If I never had a historic playoff run and turned a program around from perennial bottom dweller to highly competitive and respected, I would not have the credibility to do any of it. If I lost most of my games, what coach would listen to me? If I had not achieved something really hard, would I have any leg to stand on in any leadership conversation?

See here’s how I see it and truly believe it. God had a bigger plan for me to advance the Gospel. He wanted me to get to where I’m at now. I believe that because of that I found success. I don’t think it had anything to do with me. The Big Foot High School Chiefs winning miraculous playoffs wasn’t the mission. It was the domino affect it caused for the Kingdom.

So let’s circle back to the original question? Does God care about the outcome of sports? I think he cares about the platform it gives his word. And he loves us and if we love sports, he gets joy from seeing our hearts full.