Branded

An imprint is a permanent mark—engraved, etched, impressed, or inscribed. As an 8 year old, I once had an opportunity to ride my brother’s motorcycle. Wanting to show how “big” I was, I took off recklessly. About 100 yards down the road, my front tire hit a hole. I flew through the air and landed in a ditch with the motorcycle on my back. Thankfully, as a result of being in the ditch, the muffler was the only part touching me. As the muffler burned through my shirt and my flesh, I experienced a world of hurt. I was branded! My brother rescued me, and I was banned from riding his bike. Even though that event happened 28 years ago, I still have a burn mark on my back. The muffler left its mark.

Every time I compete or coach, I leave an imprint. It is either a good or bad impression—that is up to me. More importantly, do I leave an imprint of Jesus or me? Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20 that we need to die to ourselves so there will be no mark from us. What a challenge! Teammates and competitors get either more of Jesus or more of us. Athletes and coaches must be committed to leaving behind the imprint of Christ!