Heart of an AthleteShembull

Driven

Set
When it comes to excellence, I first have to look at everything through God’s eyes. I look at who Jesus was as the ultimate example of excellence, service, and humility, and all of those values. I look at Him, and I obviously fall short in each of those in comparison to Him. His example is the pure definition of excellence.

It all starts with Jesus and looking at Him and His life. You look at the Christian faith and who we are as people, and we all fall short of Christ’s example. But that doesn’t mean we should stop striving for excellence. I think when we give up on that, we sort of miss the whole concept that Jesus teaches us.

Especially in sports, there becomes that misconception that as Christian athletes maybe we get too nice or don’t want to compete. But for me, it’s about that competition. It’s about competing as hard as I can for His glory. It’s not for my glory but for where He wants to take me in life. That’s really what drives me to continue.—Chris Klein

Go
1. What is your definition of excellence? What drives you to be competitive and excellent?
2. What are some specific areas that require excellence in order to succeed as an athlete? What daily steps have you taken to achieve those goals?
3. How often do you measure your pursuit of excellence against the life of Christ? What parts of Christ’s character inspire you to give your best?

Workout
Romans 3:23-28; 1 Peter 2:19-25

Overtime
Lord, teach me the true meaning of excellence as displayed through the life of Jesus Christ. Give me the strength and drive to emulate His example in everything I do. Amen.