Through a decade in high-level sports performance, you notice some trends or patterns. One we have noticed is Christian athletes getting suckered into the most wacky, least evidence-based treatments. Christian athletes seem to be at high risk of getting scammed in sports performance for the following 3 reasons:
1️⃣ Faith in the Unseen
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 and “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7
Faith in the “unseen” bridges the gap between visible reality and spiritual truth. There is a lot of work that God does for the greater good that we don’t see, and there are a lot of works that he has made seen, very seen, like, oh, I don’t know, sending us his only begotten son to defeat death and save our souls!
In any case, Christian athletes are often preyed upon by flashy promises because they are taught to believe even when things are “unseen.” They are hopeful, open, and used to embracing what mainstream culture might ignore.
But this can be dangerous when applied uncritically to fields like recovery modalities, supplements, or sport performance tools that haven’t stood up to the test of evidence. Just because something is mysterious or “beyond current science” doesn’t mean it’s divine, or even helpful.
Instead, Christian athletes should embody both faith and wisdom. Proverbs constantly elevates wisdom as a companion to righteousness. In fact, discernment is a mark of spiritual maturity.
So what’s the takeaway? Don’t confuse faith with naivety. God’s miracles had evidence. Yours should too. Be open, yes—but be discerning. Don’t let your hope for a breakthrough make you easy bait for bad science.
2️⃣ The Power Of Testimony
Christian faith is built on truth revealed through personal experience and eyewitness accounts, also known as testimony. For the Christian athlete, testimony fuels faith and brings glory to God. As Revelation 12:11 says, “They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” Testimony is not just storytelling. It is a tool for spiritual victory.
But in the world of science and sports performance, testimony, or anecdotal evidence, is considered the lowest form of evidence. That does not make it useless, but it does make it unreliable for determining truth. Humans are naturally prone to bias, placebo effects, and wishful thinking.
Science is not the enemy of faith. In fact, it often confirms and strengthens it by revealing how God has designed the body to heal, grow, and recover. However, many tools and methods in sports rehab are based on what is often called Tooth Fairy Science. This is where results are measured, but there is no clear proof that the intervention itself caused the result. More often than not, it is the athlete’s belief in the method that drives the change, even in surgery!
“Researchers Paavola et al completed shoulder decompression surgery in one group and a sham surgery in another one. The outcomes were no different, both at 2 and 5 years!” p. 26 Top-Selling Book Hope Not Nope
High-quality scientific studies, such as double-blinded randomized controlled trials, show us that belief alone can have a significant physical effect. Faith in something, even if it has no real power, can sometimes lead to real results.
This is why discernment is essential. Marketers often use stories or testimonials to sell a product. Christians are naturally drawn to stories of healing and breakthrough because we know the power of testimony. But in scientific contexts, testimony does not equal truth. The results may come from belief, not the product. Be careful where you place your trust, your money, and your time, so you don’t get scammed in sports performance [Click here to use our pseudoscience checklist]
3️⃣ The Commandment To Love One Another
Jesus gave us a new commandment:
“…that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34
In our love for one another, we find it hard to believe that a fellow human being would intentionally scam us. We’ve seen this up close and personal. Clients with severe neurodegenerative conditions being offered a miracle cure – supported by testimonies – and the promise of walking again for the investment of JUST $50-200k.
Thankfully, we were able to help in the discernment process and walk our fellow Christian athlete away from false hope and back towards true hope.
This is what love looks like, not just kindness, but truth-telling. Not just encouragement, but protection. Love does not mean blind trust. It means being willing to ask hard questions, seek truth, and guard one another from deception.
As followers of Christ, our love must be anchored in both compassion and wisdom. Because love without discernment can lead to enabling harm, but love grounded in truth leads to freedom.
Final Thoughts
Christian athletes are uniquely positioned in the world of sports, not just because of their talent, but because of their heart. They carry a faith that believes in miracles, a love that seeks the best in others, and a hope that fuels resilience. But these beautiful traits can also make them targets for manipulation when they are not paired with discernment.
Jesus never asked us to turn off our ability to think to follow Him. In fact, He taught us to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16).
Faith is not opposed to evidence. Testimony is not opposed to truth. Love is not opposed to caution. These things are meant to work together.
Stay open, but stay grounded. Let your faith be informed. Let your love be wise.
Do not let yourself get scammed in sports performance. Do not settle for hype when God offers truth.
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Author:
Dr. Dillon Caswell, PT, DPT, SCS
Hope Evangelist | Top-Selling Author & Speaker | Human Performance Expert
