Tennis and integrity

written by Stephan Joubert

The well-known tennis player, Arthur Ashe, play a tough match in the 1970’s against an insulting opponent. After two hours of verbal abuse, Ashe suddenly walked off the court. When the chair umpire warned him that he would forfeit and lose the match if he does, Ashe answered: “I’m close to losing my temper. I’d rather forfeit the match than my dignity.” The next day the officials did award him the match. When I read this story somewhere, Ashe’s integrity grabbed me. Instead of falling to the same level as his opponent, he chose to sacrifice the match.

It is no joke to turn the other cheek, as Jesus teaches us in Matthew 5. You pay a high price to walk away when you know you are right. Still, this route of self-sacrifice is the route that glorifies Christ, It costs courage of faith to be quiet when others are wrong and you are right. But when you have made the commitment in your head and heart that the Lord is the most important Person in the universe and in your life, then his approval counts for infinitely more than that of people.