Playing Up

A Pickleball Devotional

In pickleball, "playing up" means competing against players who are better than you. It's intimidating. You'll lose more points. You'll make more mistakes. You'll feel like you don't belong on the court with them. But it's also the fastest way to improve your game.

Good players actively seek opportunities to play up because they know that competing against stronger opponents exposes their weaknesses, forces them to raise their game, and teaches them strategies they'd never learn playing against people at their own level. Yes, it's uncomfortable. Yes, you'll get beaten. But you'll grow faster than you ever would staying in your comfort zone.

This is part of pickleball's culture that makes it so appealing – better players regularly invite newer players to join their games. The sport has a welcoming, developmental culture where improvement is valued over ego protection. People want to see you get better, even if it means you'll eventually beat them.

Proverbs 27:17 - "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."

You become like the people you spend time with. If you only surround yourself with people who never challenge you, never push back on your ideas, never call you to grow – you'll stagnate. You need people in your life who are further along spiritually, who have wisdom you lack, who will lovingly challenge your blind spots and push you toward maturity.

This requires humility. It means admitting you don't have it all figured out. It means being willing to look foolish or inexperienced in front of people you respect. But that temporary discomfort leads to real growth.

Are you playing it safe by only surrounding yourself with people who make you feel like the expert, or are you humble enough to "play up" and learn from those ahead of you?

Today's Thought: You can't grow staying comfortable. Find people who challenge you to be better.

Reflection Question: Who is someone spiritually "ahead of you" that you could intentionally learn from, even though it might feel intimidating?