I don’t know about your neighborhood, but when I was younger we had the “do over.” Remember? You took a swing and your foot went out from under you. You mis-kicked the ball in a kickball game because you slipped on some wet grass. What were the first words to come out of your mouth? “Do over!!”

Did you know that God gave us a “do over”? Paul wrote the church in Corinth that when they accepted Christ they became a new creation. Well, thousands of years later, the same is still true for us. When we accept Christ as Savior and Lord, we become a new creation.

In conversation with a student this week, we talked about the intense competitiveness of guys and how in a recent intramural game, students nearly came to blows. It got me to thinking about tests, not necessarily the most pleasant of topics for students at this time of the year!

In my younger days, I was very competitive and hated to lose or to perform badly. I threw tennis rackets, slammed my hand down on ball returns, and murmured expletives to myself when I missed jump shots. Then I made the decision to follow Jesus and every time I picked up a ball or a racket, the test began. Did Jesus really make any difference in my life?

A wise man once said, “When you are through learning, you are through!” I don’t know who actually said that, but my father repeated it often. As he would patiently try to teach his sons various sports, he would catch us occasionally not paying attention. We would make simple mistakes that, if we had been listening, wouldn’t have happened.

Solomon was a wise man. He could’ve easily thought he had gained all the knowledge he needed, but understood a simple concept: if we don’t pay attention, listen, and learn, we won’t get the knowledge needed to further our understanding in life. We can learn a lesson from Solomon and other believers of his day: Learning is not just for young people; it is a lifetime process.

If we made a list of hindrances to athletes today, what would it include? Drugs? Violence? Selfishness? Anger? Cheating? What if I said laziness was one of the top three hindrances to athletes? Some may disagree because of the intense training and conditioning of today’s athletes. I agree they are conditioned, ripped, and seem to be more physically conditioned than ever before, but I’m not talking about physical laziness.

Hebrews 6:12 describes “lazy” as something dull, unexciting; something that is slow or has lost its momentum. In other words, not moving with the same velocity and aggressiveness it once had. This is a picture of someone who has lost his drive—like sitting in a sports car and only shifting the gear into neutral.

Have you ever met someone who feels they have all the gifts God gives to people? They are exhausted—spread so thin they are no earthly good to anyone. At times, we all try to do too much. Sometimes we are asked to go beyond our gifts and talents, but God’s desire is for us to serve Him with how He has gifted us.

Paul’s concern for the Roman people was that each person’s gift would be identified and he or she would strive to use it appropriately. However, some people looked at others and grumbled over why they did not have that gift or if that person truly was gifted in that manner. It was exhausting. Paul encouraged them to work together to build God’s kingdom.

David was new to his school and a great athlete. Jonathan was the first teammate David connected with and they became instant friends. For three years David and Jonathan grew very close. In the first game his senior year, David had an accident while driving. Many of his friends didn’t stick by his side, but Jonathan didn’t leave.

Proverbs 17:17 tells us that a friend is loyal—always loyal. We must ask ourselves, What kind of friend am I? Do I stick closer than a brother or take off when it gets tough? Can my friends count on me in times of need or just when things are good? When we find a friend who is loyal, we need to keep him or her around, because they are hard to come by.