Match payments, bonuses, salary caps, third-party deals, prize-money, appearance fees… the list could go on! Whilst sport may be the main game, the further one rises through the ranks in their chosen discipline, there is no denying that money speaks very loudly in the sporting world (and of course in many other situations too, but we’ll just concentrate on sport here!)

For something that is so significant in sport and indeed in life, it is little wonder that money is a topic that the Bible says quite a bit about. That is a good thing for us as we seek to navigate our way through life and the many challenges it throws our way. And whether or not we are making ‘the big bucks’ in sport, there is a lot we can learn from the Bible’s advice. Searching things out for yourself when you can is highly recommended… for the moment though, let’s just have a look at one verse:

“Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have” (Hebrews 13:5)

There is so much given to us here, even in just a few words. In taking just a couple of minutes to explore this part of the Bible, it can be helpful to consider both what it says, and also what it does not say. First, a comment on what it doesn’t say.

If you read (or re-read!) the words carefully, you will see that it is not saying here that money is a bad thing. There is no denying from our experience that we can use our money to help both ourselves and others in great ways. The Bible recognises in other places the need to have and use money appropriately. We are not here being told to keep our lives free from money!

What is being addressed rather is an attitude towards money, in particular “the love of money”. This phrase appears in another place in the Bible too – warning us of the dangers a love for money can bring. If you stop and think for a moment, no doubt you could recognise evidence of this all around (people often find the Bible’s wisdom supporting what life’s experiences would suggest… sometimes we could save ourselves and others a great degree of anguish if we heeded the warnings early!).  You might read or know about undisclosed arrangements in clubs to help get around the salary cap. Or there’s the unquenched thirst for gambling that whilst fun for some, drives others to ruin and despair. Often money as well as the pursuit of success is what drives people towards using illegal tactics or substances. These are perhaps but a few of the things that might come to mind… all because people love money. All because they are NOT content.

Contentment is precisely the positive message we do get in this part of the Bible. It’s presented as an alternative to a life trapped by a love of money. It is not necessarily going to be easy… it is an attitude we need to work at, to develop. Being content will take some effort. But it is definitely worth it!

It certainly helps to bring some perspective too if we read the rest of the verse in the Bible where this message about money comes from. The writer goes on to urge contentment with what we have because of God’s goodness, his faithfulness. “I will never leave you nor forsake you” is a promise that God has proved over and over again. For those who trust in him then, this is what is important. We can have great confidence in God and in the stability that He, rather than money, brings.

So, play hard, play honestly, reap the rewards from your efforts – both financial and other. But don’t let your heart become consumed with the pursuit, or with the love, of money. Don’t settle for such temporary fulfillments. Remember instead to pursue God and things of Him. For those who trust in him rather than their own riches he says: “I will never leave you nor forsake you”.