The 2026 World Cup is underway, and billions of people around the world are watching. I’m not one of them. So I clicked on Jonny Reid’s recent article about rightly enjoying the event largely out of curiosity. What I found was a healthy dose of conviction.

While I won’t be watching much soccer for the next few weeks, I will be watching a lot of baseball—the MLB, the College World Series, and two Little League all-star teams. The last category is where the rubber meets the road for me when it comes to Reid’s article. Ironically, the sports with the lowest stakes can often occupy the highest place in our hearts and minds.

As Reid explains, “In numerous ways, sports are a wonderful gift from God to help us delight in him and his creation.” The trouble is, “our fandom [can become] idolatrous.” I’m grateful for his thoughtful reflections that help us consider whether we’re approaching sports with a healthy passion for a good gift or turning the gift into an object of worship.

Whatever sports you’re following this summer (or any other season), here’s a question worth pondering: “Would I be more excited about my team winning a game on Saturday or someone being baptized at my church on Sunday?” The point isn’t to make us feel guilty or exhort us to forgo sports. It’s to help us remember we have a much deeper identity than our affiliation with any team.