Have you ever wondered why we are so competitive as athletes and coaches? Why when we get onto the playing field we take on a whole new persona? The competitive nature to win comes out in us all. We sacrifice for the team! We lay down that bunt or make the block so that the rest of the team can rejoice in the victory.

Our flesh is competitive, but so is our Spirit. In Galatians 5, Paul talks about this very thing. Our flesh and our Spirit are at war with each other. The things of God are always and will always be completely different from the things of the flesh.

Integrity isn’t just something you display when you’re out in public or on the job. It also carries over to your family, to your kids, to your neighbors, to everybody who comes into contact with you. Am I saying things to my family like, “This is what I want you to do,” but I don’t necessarily do them? Am I saying, “This is what we’re going to be all about as a family,” but maybe next week it won’t be? I think that’s very confusing and it’s important to let my family know here are our standards, the Lord’s standards. This is what we’re going to try to live up to. Sure we’re going to fail at times and we’re going to fall short, but this is what we need to be about.

After finishing up my college baseball career, I’m now in my first year in the business world. That means that this upcoming spring will be the first time I won’t be suiting up to hit the diamond (sad day).

Looking back on my four years of college ball, one of the biggest lessons I learned was about leadership. I always thought that leaders had to be guys who were loud, well-liked, in control and who could make people do certain things. While leaders do need to be able to take control, through baseball, I learned that the best way to lead is not to be forceful, but to serve and go out of your way to do things completely unexpected of you.

It is copied in gyms all over the country. It started back in the 80’s in an old beat-up stadium in downtown Chicago. Basketball fans all over can still hear these words in their heads, “And now the starting line up for your Chicago Bulls.” These words echoed as Pippen, Grant, Cartwright, Armstrong, and Michael Jordan were announced. High schools and colleges today still imitate these now-famous words.

Our theme verses for camp this year are basically a prayer and some closing thoughts, but I wonder how they would sound blaring from the loud speakers of heaven down to earth when the Lord returns and we enter heaven. Who might get the job of announcing it to all? It might sound something like this …

Before we dive in with the message of today’s devotion, I have to tell you a little secret. Ever want to know why runners often run on streets instead of using the perfectly good sidewalks that are just a few feet away? Great question! It’s actually because we know that paved surface is better for our joints than concrete sidewalks. We run on the roads because we know our bodies will appreciate the surface of the road more than the surface of the sidewalk.

What talent impresses God? No one can argue that Michael Jordan is the best basketball player ever, or that Tiger Woods is the most talented golfer in the world. But does their talent surprise God? Is Jesus amazed when Tiger sinks a fifteen-foot putt or when Jordan makes a game-winning basket? No, because He gave them these athletes their ability, so their victories are no surprise to Him. Actually, nothing surprises God. He has always known the end from the beginning in all matters.

As competitors, we all know that in order to better yourself on the field, it is vital that you put out the effort in practice. Whether you’re running that last sprint, focusing on the details of a jump shot, or working the finer points of your throwing motion, it is necessary that you train, and push yourself to get better.

And just as weightlifting strengthens the body, we all need to take the time to get closer to God in order to strengthen our spirits. As Apostle Paul told Timothy, godliness has value for all things. Not just meaning value for this life, but also for the life we get to spend in heaven. (1Timothy 4:8) For that reason it is imperative that we live our lives as sacrifices, both holy and pleasing to God.