Humility

“Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4

There is an interesting quote from Mother Teresa about humility. It says, “If we were humble, nothing would change us – neither praise nor discouragement.” Doesn’t that make you think about our varying moods and attitudes throughout even one day? So often the way we act is a direct reflection of the condition of our own self-centeredness. The moments when we are most frustrated are often the times in which we cannot see outside of our individual circumstance. When we just focus on ourselves, we lose perspective of what is really important.

In athletics we see examples of this all the time. The athletes that we hear about week in and week out that make the most absurd comments and talk the most trash. On the other hand, in athletics there are also great examples selfless acts and true sportsmanship. These stories may not make it onto SportsCenter every night, but there are some truly great examples found in sports. One example that is worth checking out is Team Hoyt (www.teamhoyt.com). Many of you may have seen their video or read their story but it’s a perfect example of Philippians 2:4. The story of a father and his tremendous love for his son will stir your heart and give a healthy perspective. Thanks for your time and have a great week.

-Matt

Endurance

“Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.” Proverbs 10:4

“Whenever you start – give it your best. The opportunities are there to be anything you want to be. But wanting to be someone isn’t enough; dreaming about it isn’t enough; thinking about it isn’t enough. You’ve got to study for it, work for it, fight for it with all your heart and soul, because nobody is going to hand it to you.” – General Colin Powel

Hard work and endurance is well known by athletes. Talent and skill will only take us so far until we are faced with adversity. Eventually we hit a point in which we have to train through an injury, spend time studying our weak points or put in an extra hour to finish the job. Without hard work and endurance we strip ourselves from fulfilling our goals and dreams. We sacrifice now in order to accomplish what we set out for. Colin Powel says that “wanting something isn’t enough,” but the actions that we take towards accomplishing our objective will be rewarded. Good parents teach their kids this principle. In order to be prepared for the future it is essential to work hard now.

In Colossians 3:23 it says, “work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than people.” This week we encourage you to continue working hard towards your goals and to remember who we are called to work for. Take joy from working hard and remember that God is honored and pleased with our diligent hands.

Matt

Character

Character

“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3-4

Athletes are accustomed to suffering through gruesome practices, training programs and fitness tests. Pushing through mental and physical barriers in order to reach new levels of fitness and performance is the key to improvement on the field, court or track. Athletes understand the benefits that they will receive from temporary discomfort. Good students, employees, doctors and other professionals understand the same concept. That hard work and discomfort exerted now will be well worth it when they receive excellent grades, the promotion they worked so hard for or the ability to execute an extremely challenging medical procedure.

Suffering in our lives is a hard subject to handle but there is a lesson to be learned from the verse above when it comes to personal struggles. In the English Standard Version text, the passage reads “proven character” at the end of verse four. Just like in athletics, if you have proven yourself through performance and training then your athleticism is genuine and authentic. In our lives, struggles and hardships reveal proven character. That character is genuine and authentic. This week let us reflect upon the hardships in our lives and our response. Let the verse above be a great reminder throughout this week that when we experience trials we have the opportunity to show proven character. Through character we find hope in the promises given to us in God’s word.

Thanks for reading this week and may God bless your week and enrich your lives.

- Matt

Courage

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

John 15:13

When you hear the word courage, what thoughts come to mind? Maybe you think about movies like Gladiator and Braveheart which tell thrilling stories of bravery and sacrifice. Or perhaps you think about soldiers at war putting their lives in jeopardy day after day in order to preserve freedom and safety. In the verse listed above, Jesus talks about what we often call the ultimate sacrifice. Most often we use this phrase for soldiers that lose their lives at war. Jesus makes a connection between love, sacrifice and true friendship prior to the greatest act of sacrifice our world has ever seen.

Every day we have the opportunity to live courageously through selfless acts and sacrifices. Our acts of courage may never receive glory and praise from others but we can be sure that God see’s all that we do and rejoices with us in our victories. This week our challenge is to live courageously. Every day we are faced with temptation and unrighteous compromise. Remember the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for us and have courage to live for him in return one day at a time.

Have a great week and feel free to share examples of acts of courage that you have taken this week!

- Matt