“And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God and he is eternal life.”
– 1 John 5:20 (ESV)

When our world was turned upside down during the COVID-19 epidemic, athletes and coaches missed many experiences that normally brought them together. Canceled practices and games, in addition to limited team activities, led to reduced fellowship. There’s nothing sport does better than to create fellowship. What exactly is fellowship? It’s defined as a friendly association with people who share similar interests. To athletes and coaches, this association of people is called a team and there is something about being part of a team that brings us great joy. That joy brings laughter, connection, and friendships that can last a lifetime. Suddenly, there was a huge hole in the hearts of athletes and coaches because that special time of fellowship had been reduced or taken away. Unfortunately, the true value fellowship is often missed until we no longer have it. It’s easy to take our teams and our relationships with one another for granted.

God created man, you and me, to fellowship with Him. That means God wants to spend time with us. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m guilty of letting too many things get in the way of that fellowship time with God. 1 John 5:21 says, “Keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.” That verse hits me right between the eyes! God wants to be at the center of our lives. He doesn’t want the time left over from our TV watching, too busy working, or I’ll do it later mindset. God has the right to be in constant fellowship with us. His Son Jesus lived on this earth, fully human and fully God. Jesus died a horrible death on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven, and we could live for eternity with God the Father. COVID-19 gave us all a great deal of time to think. Let’s give some honest thought to the kind of fellowship we have with the One True God. Let’s not make the mistake of taking His love, mercy, and grace for granted.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the special bonds of fellowship I have with my players and coaches. Thank You for loving me so much that You would allow Your Son to die for my sins so that I might be in fellowship with You forever. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.