FAITH: FCA Creed

I am a Christian first and last. I am created in the likeness of God Almighty to bring Him glory. I am a member of Team Jesus Christ. I wear the colors of the cross.

I am a Competitor now and forever. I am made to strive, to strain, to stretch and to succeed in the arena of competition. I am a Christian Competitor and as such, I face my challenger with the face of Christ.

I do not trust in myself. I do not boast in my abilities or believe in my own strength. I rely solely on the power of God. I compete for the pleasure ofmy Heavenly Father, the honor of Christ, and the reputation of the Holy Spirit.

My attitude on and off the field is above reproach -my conduct beyond criticism. Whether I am preparing, practicing or playing; I submit to God's authority and those He has put over me. I respect my coaches, officials, teammates and competitors out of respect for the Lord.

My body is the temple of Jesus Christ. I protect it from within and without. Nothing enters my body that does not honor the Living God. My sweat is an offering to my Master. My soreness is a sacrifice to my Savior.

I give my all - all of the time. I do not give up. I do not give in. I do not give out. I am the Lord’s warrior -a competitor by conviction and a disciple of determination. I am confident beyond reason because my confidence lies in Christ. The results of my efforts must result in His glory.

LET THE COMPETITION BEGIN. LET THE GLORY BE GOD'S.


This is excellent stuff. The reason it really speaks to me is that I have this problem of placing my identity in being an athlete (washed-out HS one), something that's fleeting (already the effects of aging and the limitations of joints are apparent) and oftentimes inward-focused (although I do very much enjoy using running as a time of meditation or reflecting on the lyrics of songs), rather than on the eternal, the substantive, and the truly satisfying. The reason I was (and am) so into it is because it was 1) results- you get out of it what you put in- everyone's on equal ground to begin with, and the rest is about how determined you are and how hard you're willing to work, which isn't the case with many other things in life where you may just not be cut out for certain things, or you may not have the background/upbringing/opportunities/genes that play a large role in success, 2) I didn't want to be the stereotypical Asian.

Anyways, when you feel insecure, a feeling common to everyone, which is especially strong when you're surrounded by people who are smarter, prettier, more talented, more athletic, wealthier (the list goes on), you try to establish your identity in these things. Try as we may, though, we are not and never will be perfect while we're on this side of heaven, and when we put our trust in those things, we will inevitably meet failure and disappointment, with ourselves and with life. We are doomed to seek new sources of pleasure, only to come to the horrifying realization that those things do not provide fulfillment, either, so you go on to something else. You may get temporary pleasures, or you may find ways of numbing yourself to dull the pains of this world, but even that release is fleeting, and you're still left with emptiness. You groan inside for something more. And there is something more- something more wonderful than we could ever imagine. As C.S. Lewis writes, "…it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

The reality of Him is not always obvious. Like how I know these things in my heart, yet when I'm stressed or sad, the food before me gives promises of satisfaction and joy that experience has told me will numb me only temporarily before filling me with regret and a more desperate hunger for fulfillment. Sometimes, though, you stumble upon him- glimpses of Glory in the delicate beauty of dew on bright green blades of grass on a crisp, misty morning (Rom 1:20), or echoes of his voice in a thoughtful word from a friend. Other times, faith is all there is to go on, and though you can't feel it (He is more than a feeling), or see it, you cling to it and search it out because you know that's your only hope, and if you do have a hope, it's Him. So you pray and wait patiently through the night so that you can make it to the morning.