The Increase Devotionals

C.J. HAM

MINNESOTA VIKINGS FULLBACK

MONDAY LIVING WITH

A PURPOSE

The year 2020 was full of the “unexpected” — COVID-19 testing every day, not knowing when the season would start, and every week not knowing if the season would end. Those types of things brought a lot of stress into our lives. And many other people’s lives were drastically changed as well due to COVID protocols. It was nerve-racking but we got through it. On a personal side, it was a tough year. I lost my mom, who was battling Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. That hurt. Not having her during my season was extremely hard; still to this day I just want to call her and talk to her. But because of her strength in her battle, I was able to push forward. God, and the things that He puts in my life — like family who have poured into me — have continued to get me through this past year. It’s easy for anyone who has lost someone close to them to say that life is extremely short. It can be taken away from you at any time. We are called to lean on God’s plan, though we don’t always understand it. I may never understand why my mom had to go through what she went through on this earth, but I will get that understanding when I get to Heaven with her. This year taught me that life is extremely short, so what am I doing with it? In Revelation 3, the last church God spoke to was Laodacia, whose people’s faith was lukewarm. They were neither hot nor cold; they had no purpose. We need to have a purpose for our lives. We must ask, “Is my faith lukewarm or is it serving a purpose?” With the loss of my mom, I’ve had a fire put under me. I’m still trying to get there but I have a purpose — that is to have my works show and do things with my faith. My works aren’t my sole purpose, but as a Christian my works need to show because I am a new creation. I’m going to be purposeful with my life. Walking with the Lord isn’t an easy thing to do. We live in a world that is totally opposite; everything is pulling us away from the life God envisions for us. It’s an everyday battle, dealing with your sin and the things of the world coming at you. Especially as a professional athlete, there are so many things coming at us and being asked of us. But walking with the Lord is worth it.

Today, the Lord is showing me to never grow complacent, but to always have that childlike wonder and continue to learn. We never know enough. We need to always dig in and always be willing to learn. Humble yourself to serve those around you. Jesus lived a life of serving, so living a life of servanthood is to live a life of Jesus.

MATTHEW

BOYD

DETROIT TIGERS PITCHER

MONDAY LIVE BY FAITH

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” — Philippians 2:14-15 It’s really easy to get caught up in all that’s going on in our world today. It’s tempting to take a side, whether we’re talking about politics, a social movement or a personal agenda. But we must recognize that in all areas of life, God appoints leaders. He allows some nations to rise and others to fall.

We can’t afford to live walking by sight when God calls us to live by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7). We are called to be a light in the darkness. Psalm 23:4 says, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” God is our comfort no matter our circumstances.

If we live by sight, we can find so many things to be negative about. Romans 12:2 tells us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Are we being conformed or transformed? If we’re living transformed lives, we are living by faith. If we are being conformed along with the world, we are living by sight and failing to trust in our Lord. Being pure and blameless is paramount in our day. We must live my faith, knowing that God is in control of all things. The truth is, whatever the fate of our nation, we will be OK. If it’s our time to fall, we will fall and God’s glory will be revealed even more. That may seem extreme, but it’s the attitude we have to have as His followers. Whatever happens, in triumph or misfortune, God uses all things for His good, for the betterment of His Kingdom. It may not be what our hearts want, but we are to be still and know that He is God in the midst of all of this. It’s no more complicated than that. It takes courage to live in Christ, but there’s no other way. When Peter asked Jesus to let him walk out on the water to Him, Jesus allowed him to enter into the storm. But once Peter let himself be frightened by the elements, he started to sink. Are we walking in confidence or allowing our surroundings to bring us to fear or anger? In the midst of a hurricane, we have to live in faith.

ALI

AGUILAR

USA SOFTBALL PLAYER

MONDAYJOYFUL NO

MATTER WHAT

I used to eat, breathe and sleep softball. But when God was introduced to my life and became my life, softball no longer defined me. God’s plans and the ability He’s given me in softball are why I play. I see His hand in every part of my journey. Embodying the character of Christ is my end goal; it’s not just about winning a gold medal. I want to let the light of Christ shine through me. Softball and baseball are the biggest failure sports. If you want to test your heart, play softball or baseball. We as athletes put a lot of pressure on ourselves to succeed, so I have to constantly check myself and see where my heart is. If I’m so upset about my performance, what does that say about where my hope is placed? The failures, even though I want to avoid them as much as possible, allow me to see God more clearly. He’s the one sure thing; He’s my hope. He’s not upset if our record is 0-3.

Seeing God through my failures has allowed me to play more freely. And each time I am let down in a game, I can run to Him and say, “God, heal my heart in this so that You’re my No. 1 again.” I love how, in the Bible, Paul says he has learned to be content in every circumstance. In Philippians 4:12-13 he says, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” It didn’t matter what Paul had. Likewise, it doesn’t matter how my team is doing, I’m learning to find contentment and steadfastness in Christ at all times because my hope is in Him. I have the one thing my heart desires every day. It truly doesn’t matter what circumstances I find myself in. I have Jesus. Going into each game, I want to remain content in Christ, not in the game. Lately, God has been teaching me to be joyful in all circumstances. There’s a lot of pressure in softball and, of course, in the Olympics. God is showing me that I’m playing this game with Him, and I’m enjoying the game with Him at each moment. Yes, the stakes are high and we want to win every game we play, but at the end of the day He calls us to be joyful in all circumstances. It’s a command.

No matter what happens in the game of softball, I’m completely joyful. Yes, I take the game seriously because I want to win, but I’ll always have a smile on my face.

TREY

BURTON

NFL TIGHT END

MONDAY

THERE’S A BIGGER PLAN

There will always be confrontation between coaches and players. They will have one idea of how the team should be run and what your role within that framework should look like, and you’ll most likely have another idea. I can only control what I can control, and the rest I have to let go of. Early in my NFL career, I didn’t get a lot of playing time. Instead of sitting there on the bench and complaining about it, I decided to work that much harder in practices and take every opportunity I was given to play my best on the field. There was no point in arguing with my coach or griping about it with my teammates. Your coach will be wrong at times; no one is perfect. But he, out of all people, wants the best for your team as a whole. You have to humble yourself and submit to your coach’s leadership no matter what decision he makes. It’s not always about you; there’s a bigger picture to think about, a larger team at stake. You may be focused on your play and your career, but he sees the overall picture of what it takes to make a team great. In the same way, God calls us to humble ourselves before Him and submit to His leadership. First Peter 5:6 tells us, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” As I have faced many injuries throughout the past few years, it’s been really hard for me to see the big picture. I just want to get better and get better quickly. The daily ups and downs are draining, but at the end of the day, I have to trust that God has a bigger plan, even with this. In Psalm 127:1, we read, “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.” As I read this, I recognize there’s a reason I may experience injuries. I go through trials for a reason, even if I can’t see what that is right away. I would love for the Lord to heal me overnight, but if He is wanting me to go through a process, I will humbly seek Him and be obedient to follow His path for me. In the Book of Job, we see a man who followed God obediently, and yet God allowed Satan to take everything from him. The physical things Job had to endure left him an inch from death, but at the end of the book, God revealed Himself to Job. When He did, Job was left embarrassed and ashamed that he questioned God’s purposes behind his pain. After reading Job’s story, I don’t dare question God. I know He has a plan and I trust Him to deliver in bigger ways than I can imagine.

MICHELLE MOULTRIE

MONDAY

OFFERING MY TALENT BACK TO HIM

There was so much back and forth about if the Olympics would or would not happen, but it was a cool journey. If nothing had gone wrong last year, our preparation would have looked a lot different heading into the Games. Instead, we had a really cool training process. One of the biggest things God taught me over the past year was to find a balance between trusting in Him and the process of preparation, while also partnering with Him to work hard in my sport. One of the hardest things about competing at a high level is that we’re not always around our coaches. It’s not like college, where we had all our resources in front of us and someone else made the plans for how we prepared. So this past year more than ever, I questioned, “Am I giving my best?” Others asked me that question as well. Out of love, people didn’t want me to have any regrets. Dealing with that balance has been one of the hardest things I’ve had to do this year. It takes a lot of trust in God and me telling myself, “I know God’s purpose, and this is the perspective I’ve always had in softball. I can’t get away from that just because I get to go after an Olympic gold medal.” I’ve had to remind myself daily and get around other believers to be mindful of my purpose. I count this as a blessing. It’s really helpful to have so many believers on our team. We all need to be able to talk to someone about how we’re feeling and what we’re going through. Family may understand you as a person, but they can’t understand all the work you’re doing on the field. Having people on my team who can really see me in all of my different areas of life, and know the whole picture, has been really helpful. I know I have teammates I can see face-to-face and talk to. Even on our off days, I realize I need to be intentional about spending time with them. Encouraging each other and listening to our struggles is a huge blessing. Recently, one of my teammates reminded me of the parable of the talents. In this Bible story, God gives His servants resources and then goes away, expecting them to do something with what He’s given them. That example encourages me to say, “Yes, we trust God and He has given us great talent as athletes, so why don’t we do everything we can to make sure we are in top shape so that, to His glory, we can give it back to Him?”

I believe God has put me here in this position, but sometimes I relax in that knowledge. Lately, I’ve been trying to work harder instead. I want to get the most out of what God has given me and offer my talent back to Him.

MONDAY

ALL GLORY GOES TO GOD

As a kid born and raised in Pittsburgh, who grew up attending football games in black and gold, I was thrilled when the Steelers offered me a contract last year. My family went crazy with the news. However, my Steeler experience didn’t turn out as I expected. I thought I’d have a chance to be a starter, but that didn’t happen. I only played in one away game, in which I was injured and then placed on injured reserve for eight weeks. Prior to this, I’d never missed that much of a season due to injury. As an athlete, when you’re hurt, you essentially have no value to a team. You can feel kind of worthless.

Thankfully, my identity is in Christ. Through faith in Christ, I am an adopted son of God. I am forgiven. I am loved. God is for me, not against me, and I am more than a conqueror. Because of Christ’s shed blood on the cross, I will spend eternity in Heaven with God. These Biblical truths are the solid foundation on which I build my life. Any foundation or identity other than faith in Christ is like a house built on sand — eventually it will fall. My identity or attitude shouldn’t change whether I’m playing great or terribly, hurt or healthy, starting or on the bench. I believe Christians should have the best attitudes on the team, and in the world, because of our eternal perspective. I was able to rejoice despite my frustrating circumstances because I knew God was with me through it all. After being on IR, I was cut from the Steelers and spent a few weeks unsigned, and unsure if I’d ever play again. But two weeks later, the Chiefs called and I was really excited to play there again, having won the Super Bowl with them the previous year. I was hoping to get my starting job back, and while that didn’t work out at first, I found myself starting in the Super Bowl — my third Super Bowl start in the past four years. It’s so crazy and humbling to see what God can do — whatever He wants, whenever He wants. I believe God allows us to endure trials for a purpose and He can end a trial whenever He chooses. It was a rollercoaster year for me, and these trials ensured I knew all of it was His doing. All glory goes to Him, in victory or defeat. We lost the Super Bowl, which was heartbreaking. But I still led the postgame midfield prayer, because God is worthy of our worship and thanksgiving no matter what happens. Looking back, I wouldn’t have written the story any differently. God wrote it in a way where He is the only one who can say, “Yeah I did that, not you.” I am 100-percent aware that none of this is about me. It’s all about God.

STEFEN

WISNIEWSKI

NFL OFFENSIVE LINEMAN