“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” — 2 Peter 1:5-8
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Success in sports and life can be distilled down to a simple concept: effort. Winston Churchill is attributed to have said, “Continuous effort — not strength or intelligence — is the key to unlock our potential.” The effort required for success is giving attention to the things that will cause you to grow. Building these necessary skills will make you more effective and productive. So what are the building blocks of success we should be giving “every effort” (2 Peter 1:5-8, above) to develop in our lives?
Faith
As an athlete, when you believe in something, you work toward it. In fact, the greatest indicator of what someone believes is their behavior. As an athlete, one has to be able to believe in their training, believe in their teammates, believe in their coaches. It is the foundation for success. It is also the foundation for being a Christ-follower. It is what we build our lives on.
Goodness
This word could also be translated as “excellence” — it describes the full use of your mental and physical abilities. It’s what we might call “giving our best.” And while our performance might vary on any given day, our focus and effort should not. This has specific meaning for the Christian athlete because God is glorified when we give Him (and others) our best.
Knowledge
When coaching athletes, a phrase I often use is, “To know, and not do, is not to know.” It’s not just having the right information. Knowledge is the acquisition of good information (what you learn from film, from drills, from coaching) and being able to apply it as the situation requires. Knowing Jesus, not just knowing about Him, is the most important thing in our lives.
Self-Control
Discipline comes from the same word for “disciple.” Discipline, or self-control, is not something that comes from an external motivation, but an internal one. Self-control is required if you are going to act on your convictions. It’s the ability to apply your energy toward what is most important. There is no success without self-discipline.
Perseverance
The greatest thing champions have in common is not talent, but perseverance. There is no success without having to endure hard times and do hard things because that’s where growth happens. Romans 5:3 reminds us that hardship is something we should appreciate because it develops the skill of perseverance in us. And perseverance develops our character. It is the process God uses to help us discover and fulfill our potential.
Godliness
Although Godliness doesn’t seem to have a direct correlation to athletic achievement, it is an important building block for success. God is not as concerned about what we accomplish as He is about who we are becoming. We’re reminded in 1 Timothy 4:8 that while there is a benefit to physical training, spiritual training is more valuable and useful. Developing Godliness is worthy of our attention and effort.
Mutual Affection
The team with the best athletes doesn’t always win. More often than not it’s the team with the best “chemistry” that wins championships. “Brotherly love” is the value we have for our teammates, the commitment we share toward a common goal, and the willingness to sacrifice personal goals for the greater good of the team. It’s the same thing we’re asked to have for others in the body of Christ (Romans 12:10; Hebrews 13:1).
Love
The greatest motivator for any pursuit in life is love. Awards and achievements, even championships, are not enough to sustain someone for long-term success. Love is the source for sacrifice and discipline, and the reason for our joy and satisfaction. It is the response to the love God has demonstrated to us through Jesus and following in His example.
Success could be defined as being effective and productive, even in the spiritual sense. Success requires one’s attention and energy. If you will give “every effort” to pursuing these things, you too will find success.
— Jeff Hamilton
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