Heart Check

Here’s a heart check—do we do what pleases our coaches all the time or only when they are watching? Do we do the right thing just to win their favor or because it’s right? In Ephesians 6:6, Paul was rather direct with the people of Ephesus about their work ethic.

I often watch teams closely during practice and as they warm up prior to competitions. I see players who give a great effort when the coach is watching, but as soon as the coach’s head is turned, some of those players immediately start cutting corners and cheating on drills. Their hearts are not fully with their coaches or their teammates. They fail the heart check.

Our challenge is to give the same effort when no one is watching as we do when the head coach is right beside us. That is called integrity. A whole heart will lead us to do the right thing whether anyone is watching or not.

As we prepare to compete, let’s give a whole-hearted effort to the pursuit of a great team victory. When we compete with integrity we don’t have to waste time looking over our shoulders.