It had been a long day of doing things for my summer job, and it had thrown my schedule out of whack. The time I had put aside to do my lifting and running for football also got messed up. And if having my day split into pieces wasn’t bad enough, the aches and pains from the grind of summer workouts was beginning to wear down on me. That’s when the clouds rolled in and the rain started to fall.

At that point, I decided I would rest inside and make up my workout another day. I sat down and began reading a devotional. The author explained how he was struggling one day with staying focused on the task set before him. He tried tons of things to get his mind back on task, but nothing worked. Then he remembered the verse in John 10 that talked about the devil coming to steal, kill and destroy. He realized that there wasn’t anything wrong in his mind that was keeping him from his task; it was, instead, Satan trying to keep him from doing what God had set for him. As I continued reading, I couldn’t help but think of my situation. It was then that I felt God telling me to get up and go do my workout.

As coaches and athletes, we are to use our gifts and talents as an offering to God and to glorify Him in every drill, every sprint and every word we say. The devil and his demons are always around us trying to steal, kill and destroy the purpose God has set in us. Satan knows he can’t beat God, but he does know that he has a chance at beating us if we let him. He also knows that if he beats us, he hurts the heart of God.

This really got me fired up, and I became determined not to let Satan and his demons beat me. (This was the athlete coming out in me.) Playing football is my offering to God, and the preparation for this game is filled with sacrifice and pain. Jesus took my place on the cross and died the most horrible death possible. The least I can do is give Him my all on the field, no matter what storm may be taking place.

I got myself up and headed to the field in the pouring rain and the worst wind gusts that I’d ran in that summer. Even with the adversity, it was probably my best running day I’d had. I made it my goal to make sure that I fought through every 175-yard sprint. The more pain, the better, because I knew that God was right there with me as I was giving my offering. I wasn’t going to let the devil take away this chance to give back to God, who made me and had blessed me so much.