Ask Cindy!

What does Ellen White say about playing on a soccer or a basketball team?

Although Ellen White does not specifically mention soccer or basketball teams, she does write about the way sports can affect our spiritual lives. She reminds us that it’s important not to let sports (or anything else) get in the way of our relationship with Jesus. Ellen White wrote to the students at Battle Creek, “The place that should have been occupied by Jesus was [replaced] by your passion for games. You chose your amusements instead of the comfort of the Holy Spirit” (Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 136).

Ellen White never condemned playing backyard soccer or a pick-up game of basketball, but she did warn against the

potential dangers of sports. She warned that players can sometimes become so obsessed with demonstrating their superiority or with winning that this can lead to strife and pride. (After all, sports sometimes bring out the worst in students, parents, community and fans—pressure to strike, fight, sweep, bounce, block, down, whip, grab, knock, sack, flog, and beat!)  She pointed out that it was competition, rivalry, and the desire to be better than others that caused Satan’s downfall from heaven (see This Day With God, p. 309). What she wants us to remember is that real winners help others win, rather than winning through trouncing others.
 
If your school’s computer or your parent’s computer has the program “Ellen White on CD-Rom” installed, you might want to do a little research on this subject for yourself. Type the words “rivalry,” “competition,” “supremacy,” “games,” “sport” or “sports” into the search engine, and look at some of the counsel that God gave to Ellen White that might apply to your question. If you seek God’s will, He will help you find answers for your questions regarding sports and competition.

And remember, God wants us to be happy, healthy, and to have lots of fun with our friends. But sometimes He may ask us to change what we’re doing so that we can be even happier and closer to Jesus (Education, p. 296, adapted). In this issue, we will be looking at some of the great ways we can get exercise, enjoy being with friends and family, and help others, not “beat” them!