Most cars don’t even travel 422.6 miles in three days, but that’s the very distance that a man named Gary Brasher did a few years ago on behalf of FCA by taking on three iron-distance triathlons in three consecutive days. I’ve run a few marathons in my life, but those were nothing! Gary Brasher took on a whole different level.

During his event preparation, I had a chance to spend some time with Gary while he was grinding out part of his crazy training schedule. One morning, I was heading out for a six-mile run, and he was working on his daily six HOURS of training. Now, I’ve spent my whole life around athletes and even the most solid ones still seem to have a trace of pride in them. There always seems to be a bit of “glory hound” in us competitors. We compete to impress others and get recognition.

Let me say, if there was anyone who could have been justified in walking around with his chest poked out, it would have been Gary. But the cool thing about him was that, he was not a glory hound at all. He truly took on the event for the Lord; not himself.

In Nehemiah 6, we read about another great leader who wasn’t a glory hound. If anyone in the Bible could have been justified in being one, it was Nehemiah. He rebuilt a huge wall in 52 days! It was an unbelievable task. He did the unthinkable even though everyone told him he wouldn’t succeed. And in Nehemiah 6:16, it becomes crystal clear how he did it—or DIDN’T do it at all. This incredible task was accomplished by God, not Nehemiah. And therein lies the secret of greatness: “God did it; not me.”

That’s a hard phrase to say sometimes. The classic response of most Christian athletes is, “I did it, and I want to give God credit.” But for Gary, it wasn’t about giving God credit. It was about Gary’s desire for everyone to know that it was God who accomplished the task from start to finish. He didn’t do it to make himself great, but God. He did it to get the word out about FCA and to raise money for God’s work. Gary was not a glory hound. He was a reflector of the Lord’s glory.

You might not ever do a triple-iron triathlon, but as an athlete or coach, you are always doing something significant. And as a follower of Christ, you are always doing something significant because you are representing Him every time you compete. So, ask yourself today: Are you a glory hound or a glory reflector? It is either “God did it” or “I did it.” Let your response be that it was all God.