All on the Field: A Good Athlete—Having Discipline - Wednesday
Acts 20:24
But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. (NLT)
I recently reached out to a family friend that is a college baseball player to ask if he’d be willing to do some work with my son, Jordan, as he prepared for a baseball team tryout. He graciously agreed, and we spent time on a Saturday morning doing drills to shake off some rust and re-engage my son in one of his favorite sports.
Toward the end of the time we had together, my friend shared some perspectives about the game. He’s an accomplished athlete with a great deal of ability, but he wanted Jordan to know that if you don’t play for something bigger than yourself, you will not reach your potential. He went on to explain that being motivated by your love for Jesus and your love for your teammates will release the pressure you will otherwise press down on yourself, and he’s right.
Paul reminded Timothy of this over and over again in his letters to him, and he also made it clear in today’s verse as well. If we don’t “play” for something bigger than ourselves, we have missed out. For Paul, his mission was crystal clear: He was to spend his life “telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.”
I don’t know about you, but I need that reminder. It’s all too easy to start worrying about my own wins and losses, what I’m accomplishing, or where I’m going. Even though most of us aren’t competing as athletes on the field anymore, we are still keeping stats. Sadly, most of those stats are about ourselves and not others. May we remember today to play for something bigger than ourselves.
Wednesday’s Reflection
Thank God for His grace in your life, and if you have time, make a short list of people you need to “play for” so you keep your focus beyond yourself.
