This story appears in FCA Magazine’s September/October 2015 issue. Subscribe today!
Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” – Ephesians 6:11 (NLT)
The U.S. Marine Corps has three core values: Honor, Courage and Commitment. Honor forms the bedrock of their character and holds them to the highest, uncompromising standard of ethical and moral behavior. Courage is the mental, moral and physical strength to take the right action under great stress and pressure, even in the face of fear. Commitment is the spirit of dedication and discipline needed in their relentless pursuit of excellence.
Sign me up. Those core values inspire me. I might add Faith and Love to the mix, but you could build a life on those three above. My good friend Jon Gordon has said, “If you want to build up, you have to first dig deep and develop your foundation. Build the foundation with values, principles and habits that will help you soar.”
FCA—a ministry now more than 60 years old—serves coaches and athletes by the core values of Integrity, Serving, Teamwork and Excellence. Those values push every FCA staff member as we seek to share the gospel of Christ through the avenue of sports.
Whether you realize it or not—for better or worse—we all have our own set of core values that define how we live. Core values become the essence of who you are, what you believe, and how you think and act. They are, simply put, the stuff we’re made of. Our values define what’s most important to us and guide us as we embark on our mission. What we value most, we protect. Early on, values can be something you strive to live up to. Later, they define what you stand for.
Core values help us make the right decisions in all areas of life: health, relationships, money, you name it. But living by our core values requires preparation. Too many of us have a shaky spiritual foundation (or no foundation at all), which leads to compromise, shortcuts and excuses for why things didn't turn out quite like we wanted. If we want to live healthy lives, we have to know and live by our core values.
Daniel and his friends (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) serve as great role models for how to stay true to core values and stand strong under incredible pressure.
• In Daniel 1, they refused to violate their conscience by eating food from the king's table offered to idols. They chose God’s ways and were rewarded with incredible health and favor.
• In Daniel 3, they refused to bow and worship false gods even under the threat of certain death in the blazing furnace. God protected them and delivered them from the fire.
• In Daniel 6, they refused to stop devotion to God in prayer, and Daniel was thrown into the lions den. God shut the mouth of the lions and rescued him.
These four young men showed us how to stand strong for God on a solid foundation. They were unshakable. But how? They knew God personally, they knew themselves, they knew their core values, and they were ready for adversity.
We need to develop a strategy to stay true to our core values and stand strong on our foundation in Christ. And how do we do that?
1. Anticipate – Advance decision-making or anticipating situations helps us know what to do before it happens. We will rarely be surprised or caught flat-footed. I believe Daniel and the three knew opposition was coming, anticipated situations they might face, and then made decisions in advance about what they would do if they faced it. They were prepared to stand strong.
2. Ask – Asking “Is it wise?” helps to keep our focus. In other words, will this decision move me toward God’s best for my life? Based on who I am, the person I want to be, and the dreams God has placed in my heart, is this wise? Will my decision ultimately result in God’s glory?
3. Act – Decisive action is a demonstration of internal conviction. Courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s taking action in the face of fear. Daniel and his friends were ready from day one to stand for what they believed. Their spiritual habits led to a strong spiritual foundation, and their faith was an every day, every minute interaction. They were ready to act.
In a culture that will challenge everything we stand for, we need to stand together. Build a strong foundation on your faith in Jesus. Establish habits that deepen that foundation around your core values, and get ready to live the abundant life. Anticipate, ask and act. Be unshakable!
-FCA-
–This article appears in the September/October 2015 issue of FCA Magazine. To view the issue digitally, click here: September/October 2015 FCA Mag Digital
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