The Heart of the Athlete

The heart of the athlete is “Be still and know.” When he hits the pitch, shoots the hoop, or makes the putt, he does so because he attains complete connection between all necessary elements while shutting out all else. Stillness of heart makes this possible.

You can train your heart to be still. It is a humbling, clumsy process, but if you mature in it, you will connect with the One who will guide you through the trials and the finals to the gold. Once you have acquired the habit of constantly returning to stillness of heart, then you are at the starting block to mark out the following three ground rules for how you do life. This is the heart of the athlete, no matter what the sport he specializes in.

• The athlete is in the moment.
• The athlete forsakes what gives his opponent the advantage.
• The athlete endures.

1. The athlete is in the moment. He does not dwell on the error of the minute before. He is in “next-play mode.” He begins again. In earlier centuries of the Faith, Semper incipe! [“Always begin!”] was a rallying cry from spiritual fathers to their disciples.

2. The athlete forsakes what gives his opponent the advantage. The ancient-world wrestler competed stripped of everything. He slathered himself with olive oil to prevent the power of the other. Our oil is the Holy Spirit and obedience to the word of His grace, ensuring a way of escape from the invisible foe’s cunning grasp. 

3. The athlete endures. He exercises his will in the face of pain, fatigue, and the limits he is under. All of these things exist in him, but none of these things move him. One thing only does: the prize. 

For us, the prize is eye contact with the One who has been our strength all along. The One whose words “Well done!” are so saturated with love that His very body, scarred from where He purchased us with blood, proclaims it so. For we are His prize, and this is His game. He will defeat the foe completely, a shutout for all to see. No one will be still on that day. 

© Kurt Mähler