Treasure in jars of clay

For each UW-River Falls home football game, I have the opportunity to meet with the team prior to their pregame warm-ups. I share with them words of advice as they enter the competitive arena. We have a great relationship, the football team and I, because of my experience as an athlete/coach and their eagerness to reach their full potential.

This morning, I prefaced our conversation with the idea of stepping up to our highest level of living and stepping into our highest potential as athletes and human beings. I wanted to encourage them to live in their greatest capacity. First, we looked at what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27:

Do you not know that in a race all the runner run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

I love this particular verse because Paul uses athletics as a metaphor to describe our spiritual journey. As an athlete, I can relate to strict training and beating my body. However, this is a notion that most individuals choose to avoid. But would you rather be average at something that is easy, or great at something that is difficult? See, Paul is saying that we are in a race - whether we like it or not - so we might as well run to win. The best things in life don't come easily, right, but what's the point?

Moving forward to another letter from Paul, he addresses the Philippians by telling them that they can do everything through him (God) who gives them strength. In fact, as we read the text, we can insert our own names into this sentence: "I, Kevin, can do everything through him who give me strength." However, the most important part of this sentence is not your own name at the beginning, it's the second half of the sentence. So we don't become arrogant in our own abilities, it's clear that the strength comes from God.

What does that strength look like? Paul paints the picture in 2 Corinthians 4:7-12. He talks about being perplexed, persecuted and struck down. Again, as an athlete, these are adjectives that I can clearly identify with. If I desire to go into "strict training," I will feel the pressures of wanting to give up and give in. Still, there's hope. Paul said that we have "this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us" (v. 7). Remember the Philippians verse? God gives us the strength and this is how we show it to others.

Our treasure is inside a jar clay. Does this seem odd to you? If I have a valuable treasure, I'm going to store it inside something much stronger than a jar clay. I'm probably going to get a vault in a highly secured location to be sure it's safe, but this irony is beautifully articulated in this verse. We actually need the jar to break to expose the treasure that is inside! Everything will become difficult, but this treasure is a new strength inside of us. Something we were not aware that we possessed. We need to be broken to let the treasure shine.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are 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 with us the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our body. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:7-10

Fearfully and wonderfully made

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." ~ Psalm 139:14

Teaching principles, not practices

It has been five years since I earned my secondary education certificate in Broad Field Social Studies. I anticipated becoming a high school history teacher, but circumstances led me a different direction. I do use my degree and education to become a better coach because I look at myself as a life long learner. We never outgrow learning and I'm trying to instill this attitude in my athletes leading by example.

I read many resources that help me develop my leadership abilities, managerial skills and overall communicating techniques. I believe I can learn from anyone, at anytime. This attitude led me to find a famous leadership expert named James C. Maxwell. He wrote The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. It is the leading leadership building tool for leaders across the world. Teaching principles, not practices, is a very important idea that I have pulled from it.

A principle is an adopted rule or method for application in action. I choose this definition because it describes best how we need to approach learning (in athletics, school, life, etc.). It requires "action," or doing something about what we already know. The reason principles are so important is because they are general and applicable in many situations. Practices are not.

A practice is a habitual or customary performance. Clearly, it is important to develop sound habits or, in athletics, muscle memory. However, practices are unique to a certain set of circumstances. Often times, each practice can only be applied if the situation calls for it. Principles include more than one practice.

The application of teaching principles over practices in the sport of wrestling is crucial. My responsibility as a coach is teach each athlete how to compete well as a wrestler. They need to know how to wrestle during competition, not drill or execute a certain amount of wrestling moves. Obviously, I teach basic skills to develop muscle memory, but not to teach each wrestler new "moves." If I teach them 1,000 wrestling moves, they may become a good wrestling coach, so I teach them general principles so they can be great wrestlers.

If you're a coach, teacher, parent, businessman, etc., focus on teaching principles, not practices. If you teach principles well, you will inevitably teach practices along the way. However, if you teach only practices, you may miss on the big picture, which is principles.

How to write a blog...

When I first started my blog, I had many ideas that I wanted to write about, but no direction. I wanted to have motivating/inspiring topics, spiritual topics, sports-related topics and cooking topics. Once I started a separate cooking blog, this one started to develop its own characteristics.

I have used Lend Me Your Imagination as a sort of journey into the playground of my brain. I want to reveal what is going on inside my head. It's like it has become an online journal of sorts, and I'm inviting the world to read it.

In my short time as a blogger, I find that the best ones are when I get out of the way and pour out what God is pouring into me. The worst ones are when I try to report on something I know nothing about. If I can be honest and give my experiences, people will be interested. When I get out of the way of the story, instead of manufacturing one, it makes sense.

"The lie is that you need to know your voice as a writer before you write. The truth is you won't unless you write."

I used this quote in my first blog entry. I feel like I'm beginning to find my voice as a writer. The more I write, the more I understand about myself and what I'm trying to say even if I still don't know exactly that is. I guess I'm just trying to get out of the way. The words find their way to the keyboard without me interrupting. Hopefully something good comes of it. I think it will.

What is it all for?

Recently I was having a discussion with one of my athletes about what it takes to get to the "next level." I often talk about using athletics as an avenue to become what we are created to be. This looks different for everyone, but I actively strive to encourage my male athletes to be great men. Getting to the next level requires one to use everything he has to be his best and do his best while entering into manhood.

Last spring, as I was developing the curriculum for my summer camp system, I stumbled across Raising a Modern Day Knight by Robert Lewis. This book was written to fathers of young boys and encourages them to raise their sons similar to the medieval knights. Lewis is clear that we need to raise our sons to be great men, but just knowing this is not enough. We must have a vision for manhood.

I have heard parents, teachers and coaches instruct young boys to be men. It usually happens when they are trying to correct an error. It typically sounds like, "come on, be a man!" or "step up and be man." What does be a man mean, though? Often times we attempt to instruct young boys to be men with no clear vision of what that looks like. Lewis gives us a vision for manhood with four clear objectives and added a code of conduct as a means to produce men.

A Vision for Manhood

Lewis states four manhood principles: Real men (1) reject passivity, (2) accept responsibility, (3) lead courageously, and (4) expect the greater reward. He suggests that though men have a natural inborn aggressiveness, they tend to become passive at home and avoid social responsibility. These principles, if followed, prevent passivity from becoming a significant problem.

My answer to that athlete about getting to the next level dealt primarily with the fourth principle - expecting the greater reward. We preach the first three principles on a regular basis in many arenas of life, but often times we don't go as far as to add the fourth principle. It's uncomfortable and unacceptable to speak of living for more than ourselves. People generally feel that it crosses an imaginary line into spiritual topics that become taboo to mention. However, our spirit is part of our lives.

Athletes refer to the spiritual dimension in many ways. What I call our "soul" is often synonymous with words like heart, drive and desire. It is a key component of the Total Athlete (body, mind and soul). Regardless of what we call it, this is the focus of the fourth principle. In order to become the best that we can be, we need to train the spiritual dimension, too. We train our soul by expecting the greater reward.

A Real Man Expects the Greater Reward

He cautions that all of the above require a duty of sacrifice, but that the knight can expect non-material rewards, such as an honorable name, respect of his community, etc.

Being a man is never a selfish endeavor. Individuals are not the main characters in the story of life. It's not about me. It's not about you. We all have higher callings and responsibilities that extend beyond ourselves. Lewis referred to this as a transcendent cause.

Life is ultimately unsatisfying if it is lived solely for self. Jesus said if you give up your life you will find it, so if you live for a cause greater than yourself, you'll be happy and fulfilled. A transcendent cause is a cause that a person believes is truly heroic (a noble endeavor calling for bravery and sacrifice), timeless (has significance beyond the moment), and is supremely meaningful (not futile).

Immediately, I think of great movies like Braveheart, Gladiator and Last of the Mohicans. These are great movies because the transcendent cause in each is so evident. It is the central theme in the story and make each character's struggle worth it.

This athlete asked what it takes to get to the next level. He wanted to know "the secret." It's simple: fight for a bigger cause. It's not about us as individuals. We can't just think of ourselves if we desire to be the best that we can be. We need a vision for manhood and a transcendent cause.

More obedience, please

When I wake up every morning, I look into the mirror while I brush my teeth. In fact, I look in the mirror frequently throughout each day. Sometimes it's to survey my outfit or to check my receding hairline. Other times, I just enjoy saying hi to myself.

The purpose of a mirror is to accurately reflect what you look like. And in doing so, that you may be able to discern imperfections that you might do something about. When does one leave the mirror if a blemish or flaw that can be fixed is starring back at them?

I think this what James was getting at in James 1:22-25. In summary, he basically says that we should obey what we read in the Bible. If we don't, it's like a man who looks in the mirror and forgets what he looks like once he walks away. Well, God's Word is like a mirror.

The Bible gives us a perfect reflection of who we are. It exposes all of our imperfections and flaws. Choosing not to obey God's Word is like seeing a major flaw in the mirror and simply walking away.

Steven Furtick said in a March sermon that, "God's word is simple, but not simplistic." It reveals who we are and clearly tells us how to fix our imperfections. It's through obedience.

Obedience is not a call for legalism or a set of rules to follow. Instead, it's doing what we know is right and responding to what we see in the mirror of imperfection. Furtick also stated that a problem arises when we become educated beyond our level of obedience.

We have a knowledge surplus and an obedience deficiency in the United States. We don't need to read more books, hear more sermons or go to more conferences. We need to look at who we are and allow God to do what he does best--fix us.

The Word of God is plain and shows what is there. What do you see when you look in the mirror?

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. ~ James 1:22-25

Reacting vs. Responding

When I was in high school I received tremendous advice from my dad about the difference between reacting and responding. He recalled a time when his grandfather used an analogy about penicillin to describe the two. I reference back to it often throughout each day with conflict resolution or handling difficult situations.

Responding is preferred to reacting in all situations. Penicillin was created to help sick people. When we respond positively to the use of penicillin, it has the power to save our lives. However, if we react to it, we can die. This simple analogy was permanently etched into my mind when I was 14 years old. I believe that sometimes the difference between reacting and responding can be a life and death matter.

Richard Flint, a personal development speakers, says, "It's so easy to react. But responding takes another set of skills that every manager should have." Responding requires calmness and stability. If we make decisions based on our emotions, it is likely that we will react. Every time you react, you lose control of the environment and turn an opportunity into an obstacle.

Emotionally, stay cool. Each time you feel yourself starting to speed up emotionally, stop whatever you're doing, take a deep breath, and ask yourself: "What can I do to turn this into a positive experience?" If you don't slow down, you'll race in, spread your emotions all over the place, leave, and then have created a crisis attached to a crisis. The result is total confusion and frustration. Just make yourself slow down and ask questions, rather than make statements.

I use the movies Matrix and Wanted to explain this idea to athletes when they are learning new techniques. We need to step outside of ourselves and see the situation for what it truly is, this is putting everything is perspective. In both movies, characters are able to slow the world down around them and see things moving in slow motion. The can make better decisions because they see everything unfolding before their eyes. This allows us to see the silver lining and to actively chose to respond instead of reacting.

Stay focused on the solution, not the problem. Pause and ask questions before you give out information or make decisions. Examine your attitude, regulate your emotions and try alternative behaviors. You choose to react or to respond.

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." ~ Ephesians 4:31-32

Stop reacting and start responding.