Have you ever gone to a restaurant that serves bread before the meal and, when the bread got to your table you just stared at it? Say you have just worked out and you are incredibly hungry.  Everyone in the restaurant can hear your stomach growling, but all you do is just sit and stare at the bread. People around you start talking to each other and asking questions like, “Why are you just staring at the bread? Eat it!” But you just sit and stare, wondering why you aren’t satisfied.

Most people don’t figure out their purpose until adulthood. But for me, everything happened when I was four years old. That’s when I started playing hockey and that’s when I began to follow Jesus. Both of my passions kicked in right away. I’m still working on my game and I’m still working on my relationship with God, but because I discovered my passions at an early age, being bold in my pursuit of those things has come naturally for me. Most importantly, however, is my passion for Jesus. That passion gives me the strength to be totally unashamed of Christ. I never want to hide my love for him. Whether it’s something I say or how I act, I have to reflect Christ. I’m not going to be afraid to say something or be afraid of people criticizing me or putting me down for my faith.

We love to be the best. As competitors, we want to be the best in everything. Being good is good, but being best is better. We want to go from good to great in every aspect of life. We have to be #1—on and off the field! Nobody remembers the loser. Second place? Seriously? We engage in the relentless pursuit of excellence!

“I Must Be the Best Me” is a principle I believe and live daily. In Luke 12:48 we are told, “to whom much is entrusted, much is required.” No matter what gifts you’ve been given, we must have a desire to be faithful and maximize them. It is essential that we are life-learners who desire to grow and develop. But it doesn’t stop there!

“Because God has made us for Himself, our hearts are restless until they rest in Him.” –  St. Augustine

We usually don’t like talking about our devotions, because we view it as personal and what works for us might not work for others. Even if we do share, others can take it as bragging or preachy! However, it is essential that we discuss not only what we are learning, but also how we are doing it. As teammates, we should encourage one another in our spiritual walks.

Basketball coaches love it when their players have court awareness. Unlike dribbling, passing or shooting where athletes rely strictly on athletic talent during the course of a game, court awareness is a talent that involves competing with mental alertness, seeing all the obstacles in advance and reacting while moving at full speed. The great players have that special ability.

Many times over the years our team has competed against opponents with more physical talent. The games all start the same way. The opponents strut onto the court with a sense of confidence and a swagger in their own abilities. Their body language indicates they’re confident of dominating the contest.

While on a hard training ride the other day, I noticed how focused I was on my goal of getting a personal best on this particular course. I kept checking my cadence, heart-rate monitor, speed and perceived exertion, and I even noticed I was making ground on the cyclist ahead of me. This ride and my focus made me ask myself two questions about my spiritual life:

1. Do I spend as much time making sure I am on track with my Christian life?
2. What marks do I use to assess where I am?

When I was coaching football I was blessed with an opportunity to help at an FCA Football Camp. During one of the coaches’ huddle sessions, our Huddle Leader said, “I tried to coach my players as if one of them would one day become my son-in-law.” That has always stuck with me. And in Mark 12:31, we read that this kind of advice is actually from God Himself.

Have you ever had to play a game being down a player? Maybe not enough people showed up. Maybe someone got a red card or a player was serving penalty time. Regardless of the situation, it can be intimidating. All of a sudden, what was once a level playing field becomes a lopsided match. We look at our opponents and think, “Wow. This doesn’t seem fair. They have such a big advantage, now.”