Why Christian Athletes Should Embrace a Better Mascot
Lions. Jaguars. Eagles. Sharks. Wolves. I have even seen mythical beasts resembling something straight out of the book of Revelation, like the Kraken. The mascots attached to our teams—the ones we play for and the ones we cheer for—are often predatory in nature. We like to align with apex predators, not prey.
We wear clothing branded by these mascots. Their names are chanted in stadiums around the world. In some cases, we drag a real-life animal onto the field. The first mascot in American sports history was a bulldog called Handsome Dan. As Yale’s official mascot, Handsome Dan was on the sidelines of every football game.
A bulldog makes sense. The Yale Gold Retrievers or the Yale Poodles do not have the same ring to it.
Our mascots say something about our identity. As someone who competed for Wake Forest University, part of my identity is that of a “Demon Deacon”—which is intentionally ironic. When it comes to our identity, there will always be competing voices in our heads.
Do you know what mascot I haven’t seen embraced in the world of sport yet? A sheep.
That is how the people of God are referred to in the bible, not as lions or other ferocious predators, but as sheep. A quick Google search will tell you a lot about the unique characteristics of sheep. Here are some of the highlights you will find—if you want to call them highlights.
Sheep are dumb. They are prey to just about everything. They are slow. They are constantly fearful. They blindly follow the sheep in front of them. They are foolish, slow to learn, and stubborn.
Tim Challies says this about sheep:
“Do a little bit of reading about sheep and you’ll soon see they are not survivors. They are not strong and independent creatures, not proud hunters or fierce predators. They’re actually kind of pathetic, entirely dependent upon a shepherd for at least three reasons.”
He lays out the three defining characteristics of a sheep: dumb, directionless, and defenseless.
I once heard a pastor explain that sheep who are being harassed by flies will beat their head against a tree until they die. The flies won’t die, the sheep will. Yes, sheep are dumb.
Challies goes on to explain that they are also directionless.
“Sheep are prone to wander. Even if you put them in an absolutely perfect environment with everything they need (things like green pastures and still waters), sooner or later they will just wander off. If a shepherd doesn’t manage them, if he doesn’t micromanage them and keep them under constant surveillance, they’ll wander off and be lost.”
Lastly, they are also defenseless. Challies concludes that:
“Left to themselves, sheep will not and cannot last very long. Just about any other domesticated animal can be returned to the wild and will stand a fighting chance of survival. But not sheep. Put a sheep in the wild and you’ve just given nature a snack.”
There is nothing empowering or encouraging about being called a sheep. It is offensive. And yet the Bible refers to us as sheep hundreds of times. Athlete, God does not position us to give Him glory by raising our self-esteem, but by revealing our true need for him in every aspect of our lives. In a culture that consistently tells Christian athletes to leverage their platform for the glory of God, it’s worth remembering that the kind of people God used throughout scripture were the weak, the insignificant, and the lowly—the sheeplike people.
Aside from being referred to as sheep in the Bible, we also see God's people came to him at multiple points with expressions of inadequacy and not once did his response center around their awesomeness.
Consider Moses. God’s people were slaves at the hands of the Egyptians for 400 years. God appointed Moses as His instrument to free the people and lead them to the promised land. What an incredible opportunity. Moses was going to be The Guy. But he was afraid. As God reveals Himself to Moses in a burning bush, Moses has second thoughts. He begins to doubt himself.
As someone who disciples and mentors college athletes, my response is often different than God’s. I encourage men who struggle with self-confidence. I try to lift their spirits in seasons of doubt and frustration.
God takes a different approach with Moses. Five times Moses says “but” and offers an excuse for not being able to accomplish the task. Not once does God address his insecurities, but rather, turns the attention to how amazing he is. God never responded by saying “Moses, you can do this.” His response was always, “Hey, just trust in me” (my paraphrase).
I love that. Because in His response, God is affirming that Moses is right. You can’t do it. You are not quick on your feet. You are not in need of a pump-up talk. Your self-esteem does not need to be raised. What you are feeling about yourself...is true.
You are a sheep. Inadequate and insignificant on your own—in need of a Shepherd.
Our culture tries to feed us the medicine of self-esteem and affirmation when we feel unworthy. And sometimes that’s the right medicine. But feeling unworthy and inadequate on your own is not a disease—it is a mark of a healthy state of mind and soul. Prideful sheep do not last long on their own. We were created to be led by a Shepherd. Recognizing that is not weakness, it’s humility. It’s a key heart posture we need to address if we have any hope of bringing glory to God through our sport.
If you need more evidence than “because the Bible says so,” research consistently shows that people who practice humility are generally more happy, healthy, and optimistic about life.
Sheep who truly know they are sheep understand they are nothing without a shepherd. He is what makes them safe, significant, and worthy. But the order in which they understand that is immensely important. If they start by saying they are safe, significant, and worthy, they may soon forget they are sheep and wander off.
We must first understand our identity as sheep. Then, and only then, can we talk about the glorious components of being connected to the Shepherd. And they are glorious. Here are a few reminders of what is true about those of us under the care of God, the good Shepherd.
I am Loved (1 Thessalonians 1:4)
I am Accepted (Romans 15:7)
I am Complete (2 Corinthians 12:9)
I am Bold & Confident (Ephesians 3:12)
I am Made Alive (Ephesians 2:4-5)
I am Valuable (1 Corinthians 7:23, Luke 12:24)
I am a New Creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
I am a Masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10)
I am Justified (Romans 3:24)
I am Redeemed (Ephesians 1:7)
I am Wise (1 Corinthians 1:30)
I am Chosen (Ephesians 1:4)
I am Precious (Isaiah 43:4)
I am Fearfully & Wonderfully Made (Psalm 139:14)
I am Set Free (Galatians 5:1)
If these truths are used to give us a boost of self-esteem, they will inevitably fall flat. These statements are meant to help us feel safe and free. When we are safe and free, we have the tools to compete with joy and passion that cannot be manufactured. Our grounding in who we are as sheep under the care of a Shepherd should produce a peace that transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:7), which then frees us to play our sport knowing our primary identity is already secured by God.
Athlete, play like a Hawkeye, or a Badger, or Wolverine—but know that at your core, you are a sheep who is deeply loved and cared for by a loving Shepherd.
