I was at home one morning, just minding my own business, when I heard a proclamation coming from outside of my house. It was loud. It was proud. It was my four-year-old son singing at the top of his voice, “I’m in the Lord’s Army. Yes, sir!” He was sitting against the door with his light saber in hand, singing his praise to the General of the heavenly Host.

When you play sports, you enter into battle. Sides are chosen, boundaries are drawn, and the battle begins. No matter what the sport, you choose whom you will compete for and against. This is no different from your walk with Christ.

Everyone has a bad day once in awhile. Even the greatest athletes struggle from day to day. A common phrase in baseball is "pick-me-up." This is said when a particular player needs a boost in spirit. And, truth be told, we all need a "pick-me-up" occasionally.

Have you seen the Nike commercial where the pro athlete leans into the microphone and proclaims, “My better is better than your better”? In this commercial, top-tier athletes from a variety of sports are shown performing some serious training and drills, all with the goal of bettering their game. It’s a commercial advertising Nike’s SPARQ gear—SPARQ stands for Speed, Performance, Agility, Reaction and Quickness. But the commercial serves as more than just an ad for Nike to sell a product. It’s also a reminder of the effort it takes in the off-season to prepare for what lies ahead.

I recently had breakfast with one of my good friends, Dave Jenkins, and we were talking about the show “The Biggest Loser” and how so many people buy fitness equipment and then never use it. He shared this quote with me: ”The world has all these great intentions. Too bad most end up in the basement unused.” How true. Even in my own life, I’ve started to workout, lose weight and get back in shape many times only to stop way to soon. All those efforts fall into the “great intentions” pile.

When I was 17, I was a young, brash, three-sport athlete who took any challenge that came my way. My aggressive personality allowed me to “hang with the big-dogs” on the court, in the field and on the track. That personality, however, also caused many setbacks.

We are all familiar with the story of Jonah being swallowed by the giant fish. But, what is intriguing to me is that in the four chapters in the book of Jonah, he goes through four different phases with God. In chapter 1, Jonah is running away from God. In chapter 2, he is running to God. In chapter 3, he is running with God. And, in chapter 4, he is running ahead of God. I believe that in our Christian lives we all go through these phases as coaches and athletes.

Despite losing yesterday’s Super Bowl to the New York Giants, Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady seems—from the outside looking in—to have everything: money, fame, a high-profile girlfriend, a winning team and Super Bowl rings. But what about on the inside? 

Edwin Moses glided fluidly over the track of Oglethorpe University in Atlanta. He had no idea he was being watched by someone who had no idea who he was. The power of his stride captivated the observer who was dazzled. Though the spectator didn’t know the runner, he was awed by what he saw.

The observer was playing tennis with a friend and asked, “Who is that?”

”That’s the Olympic hurdler Edwin Moses,” the friend said. “Allegedly he practices over here because Oglethorpe has the best track surface in the area.”

Late in 2002, Francisco Rodriguez burst onto the Major League scene as a 20-year-old fireball pitcher, and he promptly helped the Los Angeles Angels win the World Series. On September 13, 2008, he nailed-down the final three outs of the team’s win over the Seattle Mariners to earn his 58th save of the season, thus, breaking the Major League record. After the game, Rodriguez said that during the experience, he could feel the presence of his grandfather, who had passed away 10 years earlier. “I felt like he was right next to me,” Rodriguez said. “He's with me every day. I would give up anything to have him right next to me and enjoy this moment.”