Football camp is underway this week with forty campers and 12 coaches. The lines have been painted, the field prepared, end zones set, and temperatures over 100 degrees! Oh yeah, are you ready for some football?
Throughout the camp our staff works hard to teach the game of football. From drills and skills that teach speed / agility, catching and receiving, passing, and defense. Each station is equipped with coaches ready to help each player develop into the best football player they can become. And each coach is prepared to help each player recognize the person God created them to be.
The camp verse for the week is Psalm 139:14 - "I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well." As we gather for our Game Plan Speaker time, this verse is taught and applied to specific sport attributes. There are several truths we want our campers to take home both athletically and spiritually. First, we teach on the concept of success. I love John Wooden's definition of success, "Knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming." Because of God's great creation of us as people and individuals, we can focus on becoming the best we are capable of rather than focusing on others and comparing ourselves to their abilities, lifestyles, and personalities. In order for us to see the potential inside of us and becoming the best we can, we must first see that we are God's creation and He has done an amazing work. With that perspective, we can then understand that our success is defined and built in/through our Creator.
We then build on this lesson with the concept of poise. Poise is often thought of as being calm or self assured. But poise can be defined simply by "just being yourself." Remember, God created you in an amazing and wonderful way. Learning to live in daily belief of who God has created you to be, will always lead to living in a spirit of calmness, becoming the best you can be, and facing difficult or anxious moments with self control.
The last part of our camp verse for the week leads us to the final concept of living in confidence. Unfortunately our world celebrates arrogance and self confidence. In many arenas, people are promoting themselves every chance they get. But when we look at the last part of the passage above, it says, "I know this very well." Knowing is not just head knowledge or a hopeful thought. It is a daily surrender to believe that you are amazing because of the image in which you have been created -God's. While our athletes are preparing themselves for on field success through drills and skills this week, we also want them to know that it is God who has equipped them for life and Godliness. Because of His plan for each our lives we are able to live in confidence each day.
When we live in God's perspective and understanding of who we are and the potential that is within each of us, we then can become the person or athlete we want to be. Remember, it's confidence in God and His work in us, rather than ourselves.
No comments:
Post a Comment