“Anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.” 
2 Timothy 2:5
Who would expect to see sports in the Bible? There are several references to athletics, especially in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, people likely participated in sports. In Egypt, boxing, wrestling, and javelin throwing were part of their culture.
We find the mention of sports most often in the epistles of Paul, who seems to have been an avid fan. He uses sports to teach us spiritual lessons.
Paul often compared running a race with our run through life. He said in 1 Corinthians 9:24-26, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly.”
Paul also compared the work of sports training to the life of the Christian. “Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8). We certainly can honor God with our bodies as we compete in sports, always remembering to keep athletics in its rightful place.
Paul worked long and hard as a servant of Christ. Therefore he could finally say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). May we one day repeat Paul’s words!
From the book “Precious Words of the Bible” by Reynold R. Kremer