Which of our athletic gifts are most important to us as competitors? Perhaps it is strength or speed. Or maybe it is hand-eye coordination or a competitive nature. Regardless of the gift, do we know the One who gave it to us? Peter mentioned giftedness in 1 Peter 4:10. Here we read that Peter knew that we are all gifted. There is likely no group on the planet who understands this more than an athletic team. The issue for us is not whether or not we are gifted, but rather who it is that gives us the gifts, and how we shall respond to Him?

Our gifts are described as being part of the manifold grace of God. In other words, God’s grace has been distributed to each of us in unique ways. Our best response to a gracious Giver is to use our giftedness to serve those around us.

While on a hard training ride the other day, I noticed how focused I was on my goal of getting a personal best on this particular course. I kept checking my cadence, heart-rate monitor, speed and perceived exertion, and I even noticed I was making ground on the cyclist ahead of me. This ride and my focus made me ask myself two questions about my spiritual life:

1. Do I spend as much time making sure I am on track with my Christian life?
2. What marks do I use to assess where I am?

It takes heart to play sports. Coaches fire up their teams by saying, “Go out there and play with all your heart!” While skills and talent are important, playing with heart separates the good from the great. When my daughter plays basketball and looks toward me, I pound my hand on my heart. It is my sign to encourage her to play with heart. Playing with heart is about drive, passion, and desire.

Trials. The Bible doesn’t tell us that trials may happen; it tells that trials are a sure thing. How can we have joy when we face difficult times, when our season is 0–5, when parents are angry that their child sits on the bench, or when our assistants question our every move? How can we be content when we face all of this?

It seems like, in this day and age of the free agent, the pressure on our coaches to win is heavier than ever. Everyone is chasing the brass ring. More and more coaches just want to land that next big job. They are constantly looking at the green grass on the other side of the fence. Don’t get me wrong, I am an extremely competitive person, myself. I can’t stand to lose! It seems, however, that just like everything else, we have taken the “win at all cost” mentality to a very dangerous level.

I’m a big believer that God is in charge of your life. I believe this because I’ve seen how God has directed my path, even though I might not have been aware at the time.

So many times I was in a certain place, like when I played for the Chicago Cubs, and I thought that I was going to play there the rest of my career. Then I went to Colorado and I thought I’d be there the rest of my career. And then I went to New York. In the beginning, New York was very difficult. I didn’t understand why God put me there. But I realized over time that there was reason for everything He does, and ultimately, He’s in charge.

The other day I had the morning off from work, so I headed out to my "quiet place." It’s a place about a half mile away from my house and is right near a pond with a beautiful landscape. I go there as often as I can because it gives me a chance to get away from the world and its distractions. No matter how many times I go there, I still can't help but marvel at how beautiful it is.