I thought of athletes when I read this:
“Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand in the presence of kings. He will not stand in the presence of unknown men.” Proverbs 22:29.
Great artists, actors, athletes, inventors, writers, musicians, statesmen—it doesn’t matter: successful people in any field end up surrounded by the rich and powerful. But it was athletes that came to my mind.
HOWEVER.
Athletic ability is not most important. It may open doors, but that’s all. Athletes are analogous to warriors—and look what the Bible says about warriors on the next page:
“A wise warrior is better than a strong one; and a man of knowledge than one of strength. For you should wage war with sound guidance—victory comes with many counselors.” Proverbs 24:5-6.
If you were a general building an army, you would choose smart soldiers over strong soldiers. Football, basketball, and baseball prove it—playing SMART is better than playing HARD. So much of sports, of battles, of LIFE comes down to strategy. You have to make good decisions, often fast decisions. And fast decisions are instinctive—honest people decide to be honest. Dishonest people decide to lie. And great athletes without wisdom will foul up their own lives and the lives of their teammates. Don’t believe me? Three words: “LAST CHANCE U.”
And Marshall, today’s tip is for you: your college CLASSES are more important than your college sports. Few college athletes understand that, but it is ABSOLUTELY TRUE. Proverbs 24:5-6 proves it. Re-read the verse above, then look at how I paraphrased it:
A WISE athlete is better than a STRONG one. An athlete who STUDIES to gain KNOWLEDGE is better than one who works out to build strength. You must take the mound and lead your team WITH SOUND GUIDANCE. Victory comes with WISE COUNSEL. And wisdom and knowledge come from two places: (1) the Bible, and (2) your education. You must STUDY BOTH.
STUDY the WORD—and use this gem from God’s word to stay grounded:
Proverbs 24:5-6 = Academics > Athletics.
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