Athletes compete for many reasons. But which ones truly matter?

Working in college athletics for nearly two decades, there was one question I heard after almost every event. “Can I see the box score?” athletes would ask, ready to boil down their performance in that game to a single line of statistics.

Sometimes, they would look at the numbers and smile. Other times, they would get upset — with themselves, their coach, their teammates or even the statistician. It can be easy for athletes to let the numbers on the scoreboard or in the box score determine their value.

Winning is fun. And when you win, praise and opportunity often follow. It’s the same when you put up big numbers, post fast times or break records. Then, there’s the flip side: A rough performance can lead to even rougher thoughts and comments from outsiders.

But as a Christ follower, God calls you to live and compete differently, chasing after a goal far beyond the scoreboard, the stat sheet and all the everyday perks that come with competitive success. Your motivation should be greater. 

Have you ever paused to look at what motivates you? As you think about that, ask yourself these three questions:

WHO do I compete for? 

WHY should I compete? 

HOW should I compete?

Read the rest of the article to learn how we can asses and answer these questions.
 

-FCA-