Matt, an FCA student-athlete, was drafted out of high school in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft. He shared an interesting concept with me. He said that during warm-ups, the pro players did something called fake hustle. When running, they would move their arms faster than normal and over-exaggerate their legs up and down, but they were not running faster. From a distance the coaches thought they were hustling and giving 100%, but actually they were faking it.

As a competitor, we know if we are giving it our all. We do not fool ourselves. Fake hustle can fool others at a distance. Our goal should be to become the real deal and not be fake. It has to come from the heart. When our hearts are right, then our lives will automatically be transformed. If our hearts are not right, then we try to fake it.

We think that if we clean up the outside, then the inside will change. Actually, we need to be totally transformed by changing the inside first. The Lord Jesus Christ first wants your heart. When He has all of you, then the outside will change. From the overflow of our hearts, our lives will be transformed. In order to live for Christ each day, we must give our entire bodies to Him for His purposes. All our time, desires, and behaviors will belong to Him. We are called to be a living and holy sacrifice. We are not required to bring anything else along, but to deny our own selfish desires and follow God.