A Clear Mind

In his first four seasons in the major leagues, Cardinals' first-baseman Albert Pujols has generated statistics that have people comparing him to Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and other greats. "There are too many things in the game you have to worry about," Pujols said. "If you start putting those things in your head, you just put pressure on yourself. You don't want that. You want to keep your mind clear and make sure you are prepared mentally and physically. I believe I've done that for most of my career, and I want to keep doing that."

In competition, we, like Albert Pujols, must not allow worldly comparisons or accolades to enter our minds or distract us from what we are trying to do on the field. Pujols says, "I don't worry about winning the MVP, the batting title or about home runs. I just want to get ready to help the team out. If I do that my numbers are going to be there."

Spiritually speaking, it is important that we keep our minds focused on eternal things and clear of worldly distractions. The loss of an eternal focus can wreak havoc on our relationship with God by allowing those things which have little or no true value to control us. If we are truly serious about walking closely with Christ then we must continually keep our minds free of earthly things, which pull us away from Him.

I encourage you to be clear-minded by keeping an eternal perspective in life today, remembering that "the end of all things is near."