As an athlete, I constantly struggle with my thoughts. I have thoughts of doubt, confusion, and pride—just to name a few. I wrestle with doubting my athletic ability and potential, my place on the team, and my acceptance from teammates. It is usually my mind that is the greatest challenge, not my physical ability. My mind runs wild with speculation.

My college lacrosse coach would post his daily practice plan before practice began. Based on where he would put my name on the practice plan, I would think better or worse of my ability. My thoughts would consume me as to why my coach had listed me in the order that he did—thinking that he had either moved me up or down in the rotation. I later found out that he had no real reason for moving the names around.

As competitors, we need to take every thought captive. The acronym for “every thought captive” is “etc.” What a great reminder from the Lord! Surrender every thought and make it obedient to Christ. This is one of the toughest challenges as Christian competitors. It is a daily battle not to let our minds run with incorrect thoughts. Every stray thought needs to be submitted to the Lord. We must not let others control our minds—only Christ.