The first race I ever ran was a marathon, an incredible experience my body will never forget. I learned there are four key aspects to a race, and they all relate to our spiritual life.

We race against competition. There were thousands of runners I wanted to beat and who wanted to beat me. When we run the race for Christ, we compete against the world, the flesh, and the Devil. We race against the clock. Every mile a clock declared I was nearing the end. People say since we only go around once, live it up. Christ says since we only go around once, make it count.

We race for a prize. I received a medal for completing the marathon. As Christians, our prize is heaven and eternity with God!

Last month I was in San Antonio with one of my board members working the FCA ministry events at the men’s Final Four. One night after the great FCA meeting, we were heading back to our hotel and decided to get a bite to eat at the street fair. Once we received our food and had started making our way through the crowd, we realized we were suddenly fighting a mob moving in the opposite direction. As we fought our way through, we heard a band start to play and suddenly realized why we were fighting the crowd. Rock star Kid Rock was taking the stage nearby. Everyone around us—young and old—was rushing to see and hear him, hoping he would acknowledge them. My friend Dave and I struggled to get through the crowd back to our hotel.  

“Do you have fire in your belly?” was a question I often heard from coaches. It was never intended as a question, but as a challenge to play harder. Coaches want to know if an athlete has the passion and determination to play with a competitive edge. As an athlete, I never had others’ natural ability, but I did have the fire in my belly—a hustle, grit, and tenacity to get the job done—whatever coach asked of me.

Are you honest about your finances? Jesus spoke more about material things and how we handle them than anything else. Why? Because how we handle material things is an indicator of how much we really trust God. We all need material things to survive—money, food, water, and clothing—all of which God promises to provide for those who seek Him. People everywhere believe the more of these things they have, the happier they will be. That is just not true. In America, we have more things than any nation in history, but we are not a happy nation.

When I exercise or warm up for a sports game, I love to blast contemporary Christian music through my headphones locked in my iPod. The music works as an energizer and motivates me to keep practicing. It makes me want to dance and sing. The great thing about music is that there are so many different styles of songs that there is something for everyone. For me, listening always lifts my heart and leaves me with a smile and a desire to get out there.

Hockey Chat:  When a player gets double teamed up against the boards they know their in trouble.  As they battle for the puck, they’ll often hear a familiar voice of someone on their team calling out instructions on a safe place to pass it.  They would stay in trouble and lose the puck if someone didn’t call out to them.

There is a great Peanuts comic strip that shows Lucy about to catch a fly ball. At the last minute, she loses sight of the ball and misses it. Lucy turns to Charlie Brown and says that she is sorry, but the “past” got in her eyes.

It is easy to let past mistakes get in the way of a good performance. We remember what we have done wrong at the worst time in our lives and end up making the same mistakes again. Then we begin the cycle of rehearsing that mishap over and over in our mind.

As a Christian, instead of letting the past get in your eyes, turn your eyes to the present and to the possibility of doing things the right way. Remember, you are a new creation in Christ and you don’t have to keep making the same mistakes.

It happens all the time: As an athlete or coach, you are confronted with a situation in which your attitude will dictate your altitude. Someone does you wrong; a promise is broken; a ref makes a horrible call in a game; you are treated poorly. Whatever the circumstances, does your attitude show that God is in your life?

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul urged the believers to stand firm in their faith in Christ. Paul wanted everyone to stay focused on Christ and the glory of the cross, no matter what happened. In every situation we are under the authority of God, and we should act and react accordingly. Though we may be wronged, mistreated or severely tortured, we must stand firm, knowing that God will provide the victory.

Hockey Chat:  For many folks, the greatest hockey player they know was Wayne Gretzky.  Even his old coach knew that.  While playing for the Indianapolis Racers of the WHA in the 1978-79 season he was sold to Peter Pocklington owner of the Edmonton Oilers for a painting and a million dollars.  He went on to win the scoring title 10 times in his career and blasted through the goal scoring record like he blasted pucks into the net.  Nine Hart Tropheys, 4 Stanley Cups, 2 Con Smythes.  He made the highlight clips nightly but the one clip that has not been talked about as a great feat was a great blunder (I just happen to still have it on VHS tape).  As he was racing back to get in between a 2-on-1 break on his own goal, he stuck his stick out to block the p

When you think of undying, unwavering commitment, who comes to your mind? I have always been inspired by athletes and coaches who have that type of “over-the-top” commitment. It gets my competitive juices flowing. When I see players with tenacity, it makes me ready to strap on the pads and lace up the shoes!

The 2005 St. Louis Cardinals were masters of the squeeze play, often winning games in their last at-bat with their precise and timely execution of baseball’s most fundamental plays. Each time, a batter gave up his opportunity to reach base to make sure his teammate on third crossed home plate. The batter sacrificed his own at-bat to benefit one teammate, which in turn benefited the team as a whole.