We make it our goal to please him

Ask ten people on the street what their goal in life is, and you'll get a variety of answers. Usually, ten completely different answers. Additionally, ask most athletes what their purpose is and they'll quickly recite their individual goals. However, are these people's priorities in order?

The Apostle Paul had no problem telling others what his life's purpose was, from 2 Corinthians 5:9, he says, "So we make it our goal to please him."

The first purpose at Victory School of Wrestling - beyond developing championship character, morality and work ethic, creating high school state champions or anything else - is to please God. The challenge as an athlete is to refrain from asking what will make me happy, as if winning and accomplishments will fulfill us. We must ask, "what will make God happy?" This is where we can draw the most strength and compete with maximum motivation. And just in case it's still not entirely clear, Paul says a few verses later, "Those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again" (2 Corinthians 5:15).

Last summer, athletes at Victory embarked on an incredible, life changing journey as they completed "The Gauntlet." 27-hours of continuous activities couldn't have been accomplished on their own. They had to dig deeper than what they were accustomed to and find a new strength from within - soul power. This treasure was stored in jars of clay and they needed to break those jars to expose the treasure that was Jesus. They were "hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body" (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).

Just as Jesus went to the cross, so must I go to the cross, always considering myself as carrying around "the death of Jesus" so that his new life - his motivations, his purposes, his favor - might dominate in everything I do.

Nail it and press on. Go to the cross. Put all your transgressions, troubles and fears behind you. You can move forward with maximum motivation to please God, and as we've stated at Victory this month, like a crash of rhinos!

By taking this approach, how will you ever lose? Our victory is already won! I'm sure it's pretty simple to understand why we call it Victory School of Wrestling.

All this for a King!