In Him

On the second Sunday of every March, you will hear teams all over the country proclaiming how they should be invited to the NCAA Basketball Tournament. More than 30 teams get automatic bids through conference tournament championships, but 34 other teams have to be invited. These teams boast of the great things they have done—and how they deserve to be in the tournament.

During the Old Testament times, things weren’t much different. Nations would boast of their great armies or warriors and how powerful they had become—as if they had risen to power on their own. Countless passages in Scripture describe how vain these people were and how God brought them to their knees each time. God wants us to understand that all we are and all we can become are only because of His work in our lives. It is only in Him that we can boast.

Although teams and individual athletes have reason to be proud of what they have accomplished, we all must understand that our abilities come from heaven above. The FCA Competitor’s Creed states:

I do not trust in myself.
I do not boast in my own abilities or believe in my own strength.
I rely solely on the power of God.

Again, it is through God that we receive the power to perform. When we stop looking for praise and start giving it to Him, we will fully understand His power and goodness in our lives.

Teams, coaches and athletes today can stop looking to self-promote and instead boast in what God has gifted them to do: use all they are for His glory!