Soccer and missions
I was watching a soccer game the other day, and a few things stood out to me:
No player was just waiting to see if a chance would come—they were all actively involved in the game, trying to create opportunities. They created those chances for the team, not necessarily for themselves. On average, a soccer player ran or jogged between 7 and 10 kilometers during this game. Even the players on the bench are involved in the game. They don’t just cheer on the rest, but also run laps around the field to stay ready for their turn. They all trained for this game, not just the week before, but every single day, giving it their all. They had a day off on Sunday, but even that day was focused on their mission: scoring with your team! Now, check out this schedule for a professional soccer player…
- Monday: Recovery and analysis Morning: Light recovery training: light cardio (like jogging or cycling) to aid muscle recovery. Analyzing the previous game: video analysis focusing on mistakes, strengths, and team strategies. Afternoon: Recovery sessions like physiotherapy and stretching. Discussion of the upcoming opponent and strategies.
- Tuesday: Intensive training Morning: Warm-up and mobility exercises. Technical skills: dribbling, passing, ball control. Tactical exercises: positioning and team formations. Afternoon: Physical training: sprints, strength, and endurance. Position-specific training (like forwards working on finishing, defenders on tackling).
- Wednesday: Specific training and recovery Morning: Short, intense session focused on team tactics. Game situations (like 11v11 or small-sided games) to work on team dynamics and cooperation. Afternoon: Strength training and recovery workouts. Possibly mental training like visualization and psychological support.
- Thursday: Technique and fitness Morning: Technical exercises: precision passing, shooting, and ball control at high speed. Specific training for game situations like free kicks or corner combinations. Afternoon: Fitness training: interval or endurance training depending on the week’s focus.
- Friday: Match preparation Morning: Light warm-up and passing drills. Team tactics: discussions about formation and strategy for the upcoming game. Afternoon: Light recovery exercises. Maybe a team meeting to boost focus and motivation for the match.
- Saturday: Game day Morning: Low-intensity training to loosen muscles before the game. Team discussion of last-minute details. Match: 90 minutes of competition (this may vary depending on the situation and competition).
- Sunday: Recovery Morning: Light activity like walking or swimming. Physiotherapy for any injuries.
Then I spoke to a Christian who had lost his motivation for missions. He wasn’t scoring at all. When I asked him what missions looked like for him, he shared the following:
I’m not very active in missions, but I’m definitely open to conversations. Through my behavior, people might be able to see that I’m a Christian, and I hope that they’ll get curious about why I am, and then they can always ask me about it. But yeah… I get pretty disappointed because I never really get to the real conversations, and I don’t think I’ve ever really scored. Why does nothing ever happen?
Do you see the difference with the soccer player? The soccer player doesn’t wait to see if chances come, no(!), he chases opportunities, creates chances, creates chances together with his team, he’s training every single day, he doesn’t know the word ‘wait’… He’s all in.
Another thing that stands out is that a football player understands their role, and the spectators understand that each player has their own spot. The chance of a defender scoring is almost zero, and the goalkeeper, of course, will never score. And yet, no one complains that they don’t score because everyone understands that they’re part of a bigger team, and only when everyone plays their role, only then does the team score. It’s about scoring as a team, not about scoring as an individual player. Even the bench players, they all practice, train, and play along, and everyone understands that it’s about the team effort, and you as an individual need to contribute to help your team score.
I told that fellow Christian the story about the soccer players, and then he went quiet… really quiet… and left the conversation…
The solution to our disappointments, to why we aren’t scoring, might actually be closer to ourselves than we sometimes (want or can) see…
And you? What kind of soccer player are you today? And if you’re not scoring… why is that, and what are you going to do about it? Or do we say we’re soccer players, but honestly… we’re not really, are we? Oops.
And maybe you’re playing soccer now. FULL on the grind… and you never score… and you’re frustrated about it. Is that fair? Maybe God made you the best goalkeeper! So, it makes sense that in that role, you don’t score. But without you… your team will lose… So, is it really fair to be disappointed about your score? Maybe you’re even disappointed in God? Why does the ball never go in?! Well… again… maybe you’re the irreplaceable goalkeeper? Wouldn’t it be fairer to be thankful to God that He placed you in that position on His team?
