One problem with us today is that we often forget we own nothing. Talent, leadership ability, and even the very lives we live are God’s property.

Job lost all he had through no fault of his own. As he struggled to understand why, it became clear that it was not meant for him to know the reasons. How he reacted is paramount—He worshiped God! Today we tend to worship depending on how well life is treating us. Job exemplified a very valuable principle—worship is the lifestyle we lead, not the momentary prevailing mind-set.

Walk it Out. We have to live out our theology through action.

Obey. Every Christian has been called to obedience. Job was known as a man of integrity because he obeyed God.

Man, I am a workout-aholic. Can I get an amen from anyone else out there? Ever since I was in high school I’ve lived by a motto I read on a t-shirt: “Somewhere, someone is working out. And when you meet her in head-to-head competition, she will beat you.” I think somewhere along the line I adopted that as my personal mantra (especially when I started running), and I have been a gym rat ever since.

Have you ever heard the saying, “Whatever you’re looking for, you’re bound to find it”? It sure rings true today. The trouble is that many people are searching in all the wrong places.

What about us? What are we looking for? Are we looking for the good things in life? Proverbs 11 teaches that if we look for good, good things are bound to happen. But if we look for bad or evil things, watch out . . . We will probably find what we’re looking for. What about when dealing with friends and others? Do we look for the good in them or for something bad to use against them?

I could not be more proud of my running buddy Ashley. Today, she takes a 26.2-mile victory lap around the city of Boston after months of training for the Boston Marathon. She’s worked through aches, pains, snow, wind, rain, fatigue and soreness. And now, the time has come to experience the results and rewards of the hard work.

What makes me even more proud (and quite inspired, honestly) is Ashley’s commitment to doing this wholeheartedly for the Lord. Qualifying for the Boston Marathon is an amazing achievement and can become the source of great pride for many runners. But Ashley has seized the opportunity to point all glory to the Lord and to really press in and learn from Him during the process.

In college, my computer teacher taught me the acronym GIGO. It stands for “Garbage In, Garbage Out.” As athletes, we know that this phrase can relate to our bodies. If we fill ourselves with junk, junk will come out in the form of poor performance.

The GIGO acronym is even more powerful when we apply it to our hearts. If we put garbage in our hearts, garbage comes out. Think about this: if a tube of toothpaste is squeezed, what comes out? Mustard? No, toothpaste comes out, because that is what was put in the tube.