GIGO

In college, my computer teacher taught me the acronym GIGO. It stands for “Garbage In, Garbage Out.” As athletes, we know that this phrase can relate to our bodies. If we fill ourselves with junk, junk will come out in the form of poor performance.

The GIGO acronym is even more powerful when we apply it to our hearts. If we put garbage in our hearts, garbage comes out. Think about this: if a tube of toothpaste is squeezed, what comes out? Mustard? No, toothpaste comes out, because that is what was put in the tube.

I like to think about GIGO not as Garbage In, Garbage Out, but rather as God In, God Out. If we put God in our hearts, then God will come out. Today, we see too many athletes spewing garbage in the arena of competition. We need to change that. The real test comes under the pressures of losing games, making bad plays, or being treated unfairly by a coach. When we get squeezed, what comes out—God or garbage?