An underdog in size can many times produce a champion in heart. So often, we see that those who seem to be physically limited when sized up beside the competition are more driven than their opponent who has the size advantage. Some people allow their size to defeat them mentally whereas others push to get all they can out of their bodies and use their minds for the remainder that their physicality is lacking. Michael Chang is one of those who pushed his body to the limit and used his speed and mind to overcome the obstacles that stood in his way to becoming a tennis champion.

His Life

Michael Chang was born in 1972 in New Jersey. He began to be noticed as he set numerous records in junior tennis for being the youngest to win certain titles or attain certain rankings. With each step of the way, he relied on his speed to get him over the top and focused on the Lord to give him direction along the way. He won his first national title at the age of 12 and it started a run that would encourage millions of people to follow their dreams in their own lives.

One of the greatest attributes of Michael’s career was his never quit attitude. In each match, whether he was leading or down to match point, needing to win the point to hang in the match, Michael would persevere through to the end of the match, never giving up. A great example of this was his match against Ivan Lendl in the 1989 French Open. The match lasted over four and a half hours and Michael prevailed against the number one player in the world. During the match, Michael screamed in pain as his body was at the point of exhaustion, yet he continued to play, believing that this was his chance. He won the match 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 and advanced to the finals where he beat Stefan Edberg to become the youngest male French Open champion at only seventeen years old.

On the court, Michael would win a total of 34 singles titles and would reach the ranking of number two in the world in 1996. He would reach the finals of another 24 tournaments and was a member of the Davis Cup championship team in 1990. His career was a success on many levels, one of those levels being the fact that he overcame a smaller size to stand with the giants of the tennis world. His foot speed was incredible and Michael could reach shots that other players could not run down.

His Faith

Michael has always been known for the accomplishments that he had on the tennis court. Another thing that people have always known about Michael was his extreme faith in God. He chased his faith as hard as he chased down tennis balls in championship tournaments, knowing that God is the One that he lives for. He gave his life to Christ in 1988 and since has grown in his personal walk and has shared his testimony with people all around the world.

Chang set up a foundation that is driven to “introduce the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world through local community and international programs.�* The foundation offers Christian sports leagues in Seattle, WA, and in Orange County, CA. Some of the sports include volleyball, basketball, and tennis. These leagues promote faith to the participants and they teach children the importance of sportsmanship and God-honoring conduct. The Chang Foundation believes this to be a chance to change the atmosphere of sports and the overall social and spiritual lives of children and teens in these areas.

During his time on the professional tour, Michael sought the guidance of the Lord in every step that he took. In a world of celebrities and enormous amounts of money from championships and endorsements, Michael stay grounded because of his faith in God and devotion to Jesus Christ. He understood that the material things of his career were fleeting yet there was eternal value to faith in Christ. His life after the tour shows that he grasped the meaning of the Great Commission which tells us to take the message to each nation.

What We Can Learn

I think one of the greatest lessons that we can learn from Michael is the attitude of perseverance. So often, we give up too quickly on things when a little perseverance might have paid off. What if Michael had just thrown the towel in when he was facing Lendl in the fourth round of the French Open? He wouldn’t have gotten that chance back. Instead of focusing on the pain or on the score, Michael chose to fight through as he focused on the possibility of winning a championship. He battled for the prize, an attitude that has been long forgotten in our world today.

We face a crisis in Christianity, each day seeing the effects of a “quitter� mentality that is seeping into the church. Rather than fighting the good fight in life, we have decided to run with the world and rely on “grace� and “forgiveness� rather than standing as Christ called us to stand. As I think about Michael Chang’s life and career, the words of the apostle Paul comes to mind. He wrote, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.� (Philippians 3:14) As Paul says “press on�, he is urging us not to stop, not to give in to Satan’s deception that quitting is justifiable.

One of the great things about watching a Chang match was to see how he would always make his opponent hit one more shot. He would run down a ball just to open the door to the possibility of winning the point. Are we running to non-believers in the same manner? If we continue to run, continue to persevere, maybe we can open the door one more time so that they might come to know Jesus as their savior. It is that type of perseverance, the type that Michael Chang was famous for, that we need in our Christian walk today.

*- Quote taken from Michael Chang’s website â€" www.mchang.com.

Send This To A Friend