“Will your courage endure or your hands be strong in the days when I deal with you?” — Ezekiel 22:14
Without a doubt, one of the greatest lessons I have learned from athletics is that if you “stick with it,” good things can happen. I was once in a junior golf tournament with only three golfers in my division, with trophies awarded to the top two finishers. The second-place trophy was more beautiful than the first, so I secretly wanted it. I shot poorly on the first day of the two-day tournament. My two competitors were neck-and-neck, but I was a distant third. Though tempted to withdraw, I was not raised to be a quitter. When we came to the tournament’s next-to-last hole, I was still so far behind that I seemed a mere spectator. The hole was a relatively short par three over a lake. One of my competitors hit every single ball he had into the lake. I felt so badly for him that I offered him one of my balls, but he angrily refused, stomping off the course. All I had to do was “finish the race,” and I would win the coveted second-place trophy.
God will not give up on us. He says, “I will make with them an everlasting covenant: I will never turn away from doing good to them” (Jr 32:40) and “They will be My people, and I will be their faithful and righteous God” (Zch 8:8b). Part of demonstrating God’s glory is that we, through the power of His Spirit, exhibit a similar type of “holy adhesiveness”. The fuel is a dogged hope that steadily continues, even in the face of adversity.
1. Do your players, colleagues, family, and friends say of you, “He never quits”?
2. In times of adversity, does a dogged faith in God shine forth in your life?
3. What noble qualities in your athletes reflect you as a role model?
Extra Reading: Jeremiah 32:40; Zechariah 8:8; Romans 8:24–25
Heavenly Father, thank You for never giving up on me, regardless of my many flaws. Instill in me that “holy adhesiveness” to be faithful to You, my family, and my athletes over whom You have given me stewardship. Amen.