I had a point guard who struggled early on with her play and self-confidence. After beating herself up after a practice, I stood by her and said, "What stinks?" She replied, "My game." I disagreed and told her it was her attitude about her game. I told her to stop her stinkin' thinkin'!

To many times as athletes (and coaches) we tend to think the worst about ourselves or our situations. We tend to find our value in who we are as athletes, not in who we are in Christ. When this happens, as it did with this player, our stinkin' thinkin' takes over and our God-pleasing thoughts take a back seat.

Do the implications presented in this verse grab your attention? Do you labor or stay alert in vain? Perhaps you’ve heard the statement, “Where there is smoke; there must be fire.” The unconditional love of God is the “smoke” that demands a response of obedience, especially when it comes to our daily labor.

God, in His infinite wisdom, allows us to choose between doing things our way or His way. There are painful lessons to be learned from laboring and staying awake in vain, without the residing power of God’s Spirit. God’s preference is for us to enter into that quiet place of rest and abide in Him. He commands us to cease striving and know that He is God!

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.