As athletes, we know we have to train hard to be any good. Everyone is more capable in one area of their sport than others. Most of sport is taken up in training, where one assesses and develops skills. We may know people whose talent seems to come effortlessly; but to be at the top, we need to exert a lot of effort. Great athletes measure their skills and work hard to improve both their strengths and weaknesses. Maybe we are strong but slow, have great hand-eye coordination but are too cautious. We have good upper-body strength but are prone to leg injuries. Athletes push themselves meticulously because they have a goal and desire to accomplish it.

Ever since I was a little kid, I always wondered what it takes to be an Olympian. What type of characteristics does it take? What kind of person do you have to be? Now that I am one, I’m very humbled because it’s not like I feel like I’m so great or that I’ve done anything that special to deserve to get to the Olympics. I feel like the thing I’ve done best is I’ve just gotten back up from all of the lickings I’ve taken, both physically and spiritually. I’m a pretty black-and-white person. I’ll try to live the best I can, then I’ll mess up and fall, and I’ll get all down and upset with myself.

I am a sprinter, both literally and spiritually. When I played sports, I did not have a great amount of ability, but I could run… fast. I ran fast on the football field, on the basketball court, anywhere I played. I really don’t recall ever competing against someone who could outrun me. You see, a guy can run pretty fast when he’s scared!

There are spiritual races, too. Shireen, my wife, has reminded me several times that life is a marathon, not a sprint. She knows about the temptation I have to sprint. Sprinters become tired very quickly. It’s unreasonable to think they can run for long periods of time. In contrast, a distance runner must pace himself so he can finish the race.

Athletes today have an overwhelming amount of choices in what to drink while they work out. Sports drinks come in multiple brands, colors, and flavors. Water isn’t just water, now it has vitamins, minerals, and other benefits. Hardly anyone drinks plain water because sports drinks are advertised as a way to get an edge on the competition before, during, and after a workout or game.

Water was important to the people of the Old Testament. It was a daily struggle to go to the well and get enough water to cook, clean, drink, and bathe. A refreshing underground spring was a valuable resource. Many had to settle for a “cistern,” which was a hole dug in a rock to catch rainwater.

Aside from my father, the most influential man in my life has been my coach. He was always very clear about the fact that, regardless of the issues that accompany academics, athletics, and disciplinary measures, he cared about me and valued me as a person. One of his many memorable sayings was, “When you fistfight or curse, you have run out of ideas.” Later I had the unparalleled honor of teaching with him for a short while, and he went on to found the FCA chapter for which I have now been Huddle Coach for twenty-one years. At the time of the Huddle’s birth, Jesus had just changed my life, and that’s when the coach asked me to co-sponsor. One year later he took another job, leaving the Huddle to me.

It seems the psalmist’s heart, informed by God’s truth, was the source of his wise speech and security in life. Many coaches rest their security in their players’ abilities, which serves them  well until injuries occur. Other coaches find security in knowledge of their sport or the experience of their coaching staff. Others appear fully confident, but are then found to be inferior in competition. In each case, their confidence easily turns to anxiety because of the nature of their source.

Our heart can be a limitless source of peace and confidence if we maintain our relationship with Christ through careful study of the Bible. Reading the Scriptures regularly deposits the law of God in our hearts and will keep our steps from slipping.

Expectations are everywhere. In sports, every person has expectations, most of which go unmet. There are so many expectations and so much disappointment when they are not met.

Dr. Joe Stowell spoke recently about expectations. He shared three areas in which we deal with unmet expectations: people around us, our place in life, and the future. We tend to create expectations each day that set us up for potential problems.