Chosen Attribute: Commitment

Dictionary definition: “The act of engaging oneself; a pledge, promise or obligation.”

My definition: “To hold steadfast to something. To set your mind on a specific goal without deviating from that direction no matter what comes your way.”

Jesus knows how to build His church. He also knows how to build your body. In fact, He even designed the food we eat to perform very specific functions in our bodies to promote health, healing, energy and growth. Athletes today know that what they eat has a direct effect on how they train and how they ultimately perform during competition. But there still seems to be a lot of confusion when it comes to the amount of protein needed for peak performance.

“Who’s speaking at chapel tomorrow?” That was the pivotal question in my relationship with Coach Tom Matukewicz of Southern Illinois University. We were walking off the football field after a Friday practice and I simply told Coach Tuke who our guest speaker would be. He continued, “I’m thinking I ought to pray.” I chuckled and thought to myself, “That’s a good idea, coach, you ought to pray.” I was suddenly shaken by the thought, “He means tomorrow at chapel.” I asked him if that’s what he meant and it was. I immediately assured him that I’d set him up to do that and began thinking about how to not let him fail. I knew this was probably the biggest spiritual risk he had taken in his lifetime.

Last year, Americans spent nearly $12 billion on cosmetic procedures to change their outward appearances. And all of that during one of the worst economic downturns our nation has ever seen.

It absolutely amazes me what we are willing to do in order to look outwardly younger, skinnier or even happier. But the reality is that, if the inside is ugly and our hearts are troubled, nothing we do to cover it up will change our inner reality.

While most of us may not resort to surgery to improve our appearances, we have all "put on a happy face" or said all the right things even when we were miserable on the inside. But please hear me on this: Lasting change always happens from the inside out.

Deuteronomy 5 gives the account of Moses receiving the 10 Commandments from God. At the time, the commandments were given to protect God’s chosen people and bring life to the community, but, ultimately, all of the law was given to expose human sin and our need for a Savior.

I was thinking overnight about some of the qualities which enable sports chaplains and sports mentors to be most effective in their work with coaches and competitors. One of those is Empathy. Empathy is the ability to see situations from another’s point of view, to even feel what the other is feeling. Empathy shapes our attitudes and aligns our hearts and emotions to be most effective at communicating God’s heart in any given situation.

More than two years ago, I was feeling concerned about the fact that two of my teenage boys were not plugged into a Christian group. Demanding sports schedules were a contributing factor. A ministry like FCA would be perfect, my husband and I thought.

As we began to pray, we thought about starting an FCA Huddle at our sons' high school. I was very excited, but then it became clear that my husband's schedule was not going to allow him to join me in this new adventure. Just like that, I was the leader — instead of assistant.

I love the story of the underdog. I love to read articles or watch movies that tell inspiring stories of people who have faced challenging odds or amazing obstacles and have triumphed in the end. It is a testament to what is possible for those who believe — for those who sacrifice, strive, strain and never give up.

If we are honest, a lot of us feel like we are underdogs when it comes to our health.

How much do you love your sport? Is it something for which you make sacrifices? What are you willing to give up to compete at your absolute best? What will it cost you to play your heart out?

We who love sport and seek to compete honorably, wisely and successfully express our love in specific ways. Some are listed below.
§ We speak well of our game. We talk about it in a loving manner.
§ We sacrifice for it. We carve out time from busy schedules to train, to watch video, to get in some extra practice and to rehab injuries.
§ We respect the game. We refuse to act in ways which cast our sport in a poor light. We won’t cheat its rules and we won’t tolerate others who do.

I just returned from a week in Cuba. I met with a number of sport federation officials and with people whose churches are doing ministry in sports. There is such a hunger for ministry in sport there that I was stunned. Their society has been so secularized that the integration of matters of faith have been totally removed from their approach to sport. Now when I or others speak about how one’s faith can be woven into the fabric of the sportsperson’s life, it’s like fresh, cool water to their souls and they want more.

From Times Online
August 21, 2009
Space for God
Stuart Weir

“It is good and right that our churches are setting a clear Christian emphasis during this World Championship. We are opening up space for God. It is necessary that sportsmen and women have the opportunity…to turn to God in prayer and share about their faith”.