Some athletes have standout careers in pro sports. They have made a name for themselves as they have been key players on championship teams. They rewrite the record books and dominate the GOAT discussions.

There are other athletes with similar talent, but their careers unfold so differently than they had hoped or dreamt. Josh McCown played for 12 NFL teams over his career. Case Keenum is with his eighth team in the league. They are highly respected for the value they bring to a team and the impact on their teammates.

When you pick up their stories in the media platforms, you discover that they are men who have realized that God had plans for them that did not align with their dreams. They embrace the fact that God’s ways are higher than their ways, that their careers have taken a different road than they had hoped.

A national reporter called me one day from New York for a story he was writing about a top player in the playoff series he was covering. He made the statement that the most famous athletes must be the ones who have the greatest impact on people in the community. He wasn’t happy with my answer—”The pattern is this: character, humility, team attitude and a servant heart usually trump great athletic accomplishments when it comes to having an impact on people’s lives.”
The more famous an athlete, the bigger the crowd he can attract. But noteworthy accomplishments do not change other people’s lives.

Go for excellence, work hard, stay humble, be all that God gifted you to be. He just may use you in ways you didn’t expect, but He will use your life in ways that bring Him glory.

God used Isaiah to reveal to His people, and to us, some of the most profound truths about Himself recorded in the Scriptures (i.e., Isaiah 40-46). Isaiah serves as a wise advisor, reminding us that God’s thoughts and ways are higher than our plans and pursuits.

Today’s devotional is one of five this week on “Wise Advisors” by Tom Petersburg.
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