Effort

Having the motivation to work hard is key for competitors to achieve performance excellence. Everyone who competes in sports finds motivation somewhere — from parents, coaches, teammates or even from God.

Some of us find ourselves on teams with coaches who really don’t suit us that well, and our efforts suffer. For some reason, the coach’s attempts to motivate us fall flat, and our performance diminishes. Others must deal with divisions among teammates. Regardless of who it is, finding motivation in other people is inconsistent at best.

However, we do find a consistent, steady and inexhaustible source of motivation in Jesus. His character is consistently excellent, and His reward to those who have a relationship with Him is immeasurable. We can trust Him to come through on every promise and to find great pleasure in our worship as living sacrifices — as we compete and as we live our everyday lives.

Regardless of your relationship with your coach or captain, focus on serving Jesus as you train, practice and compete. Trust the Lord to reward your efforts with a rich reward of grace, joy and fulfillment in having served Him well.