CrossFit champion Rich Froning shared how God’s Word became the anchor of his career and relationships.
Professional Athlete Rich Froning
The athlete, Rich Froning first played baseball in high school, then tried footbal.
He received a baseball scholarship from a community college, but quit the sport when he started working at the fire department.
Rich grew up in a Christian home, but never made the faith his own.
“I was born in Michigan. We went to church on Sunday; that’s what we did. It was more of that’s what you’re supposed to do, you know,” he said.
Rich Froning And His Journey With God
Rich admitted that he didn’t have a true understanding of his faith.
“Obviously I read the Bible and knew all the Bible stories and all that stuff but didn’t have a true understanding; I didn’t have that relationship type of faith. When I prayed or when I read, I would skim around and find the verses that applied to the situation that I was in,” he said.
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Furthermore, he shared that his relationship with God revolved around the question, “What can You do for me?” It was constantly about asking for favors and never really focused on knowing Him. He described it as “not real faith.”
The Turning Point
Growing up with 32 cousins, Rich felt like everything was a competition and always wanted to win.
When he started doing CrossFit, he realized that he could not always win.
“And that first year of the games where I was so close to winning. You know, I put so much into who I was as a CrossFit athlete, it kind of defined who I was. Being so close to winning and so close to having that glory, it was hard for me,” he said.
But because of that, he started seeking the Lord. He wanted to know what He was missing.
On Rich’s journey to know God, he realized that it is all about Jesus.
“When I started realizing and reading about Jesus and the things that He did and the things that He said, I was like, “I’m going to be okay whether I win or not. That’s not what defines me as a person. It’s my faith; it’s what Jesus did for me,” he said.
Watch his whole testimony here:
Reference | YouVersion
Header image: Rich Froning [YouVersion]. YouTube, 23 October 2019, https://youtu.be/TtaDpL4rXLM