Sports Spectrum

How long do you think the fans stayed content after the Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV on January 28, 2001? It took just one week for someone to ask me, “What about your chances of winning the Super Bowl next year?”

After 11 years of playing in the NFL and winning a Super Bowl ring, I have found that the world tries to convince me of several falsehoods. First, the world tells me that my athletic accomplishments and success on the field will bring me lasting satisfaction—but I know that over time my athletic ability will fade. Where is my hope then? Psalm 39:7 says it best. My hope is in God.

Second, the world tells me that my economic success will buy me happiness. In Ecclesiastes, wise King Solomon said that all earthly treasures are empty and meaningless. True happiness comes from knowing God, who tells us that there is no eternal hope or purpose in material things. They are all temporary. God’s viewpoint is drastically different from the world’s.

God’s viewpoint is drastically different from the world’s. I have found that fulfilling something greater than myself (like the Great Commission) will give my life eternal purpose and satisfaction. I have also found that Jesus alone can fill the void we all have in our lives.

Be prepared when the world tries to sell you the wrong message about true happiness and purpose in life. Don’t buy into it! The truth is, contentment is found in Christ alone.