A mutual respect exists among athletes. To some degree, as athletes we all have a single-minded, committed lifestyle that is laced with adversity. This is the price we pay to excel. An athlete’s identity and purpose hinges on his or her performance, but what happens when adversity strikes?

What we see as adversity, God sees as opportunity. In Genesis 38–39, we read the story of how Joseph was sold into slavery by his own family and then imprisoned for 13 years for a crime he did not commit. But Joseph stood firm. “What men meant for evil, God used for good,” he said (see Genesis 50:20). Joseph was right: Years after being sold into slavery, he became second in command over all of Egypt!

We all know that we need to eat well so our bodies will perform well on the field of competition. But how many of us know what feeds our souls? What keeps one’s soul from starvation and keeps it running? Jesus knew about “soul food.”

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.

To kick off the summer vacation, my youngest daughter and I went on a 20-mile, three-day back-packing trip. I have been on several trips, but this was her first. We were hiking a section of the Monadnock-Sunapee Trail and followed their guidebook and trail markers for the three days of hiking. By following their book, we found shelters or platforms on which to spend the night and we found plenty of water to pump into our water bottles.

Some athletes are motivated by challenge, others by the thrill of winning. Others still are provoked to excellence by the fear of losing. What motivates us to compete at our highest levels? How do coaches and teammates stir us to be our best? We’re certainly not all wired the same.

Hockey Chat:  There are a lot of superstitions and traditions that the NHL players have.  On the Blackhawks, John Madden used to change his laces every single time he skated. Patrick Sharp always wears his headphones with his iPod on before the game.  Brian Campbell doesn't like anyone touching the knob of his stick before the game, or he has to re-tape it.  Brent Seabrook gets ready at the exact same time every game. Tomas Kopecky during warm-ups always spits on all four faceoff circles.  But regardless of whatever superstitions these guys have, there core ability is what makes them great players.