Our family plays a game in which we ask, “Would you rather . . . ?” then our children have to make a decision. (Example: Would you rather win a World Series or Super Bowl?) Last night, I asked, “Would you rather be a great leader or a great servant?” I barely finished the question before my 10 year old, Abigail, said, “Dad, they’re the same thing. If you serve someone, you are showing and teaching someone what Jesus would do.” Wow! After picking myself up off the ground, I realized she nailed it. Abigail understands that a great servant is always a great leader, but a great leader is not necessarily a great servant.

Some friends asked me to feed their fish while they were away. One day I thought, How boring for that fish. He needs a party. So I removed the fish from the tank and set him on the couch with the remote, food, and magazines. He was in heaven—freedom from his bowl, no boundaries, no one to make him stay put. He looked lonely, so I set some frozen fish sticks nearby. They were a little cold toward him, but at least he wasn’t alone. OK, that didn’t happen. The truth is, if I remove that fish from his boundaries, he will experience death, not freedom.

Athletes must strive to get better every day. No matter how talented we are, there is always room for improvement. We may be the best in our school or sport, but if we get satisfied, we will not become all God wants us to be.

Cal Ripken Jr., who broke Lou Gehrig’s consecutive-game record (Gehrig’s 2,130 to Ripken’s 2,632 straight games in the lineup), credits his father, Cal Ripken Sr. for the mentoring, coaching, and example to break the record. Junior remembers that his father had many mottoes and pronouncements. One of his favorite sayings was: “Do two million little things right, and the big things take care of themselves.” His point was to take pride in the fundamentals.

All of us face the game of life each day with its tests and temptations. Being a Christian doesn’t guarantee that we will never have problems. But as Christians, we have biblical guidelines and fundamentals to help us have victory over our trials.

When our son was only four, he looked his mom and me in the eyes and asked, “Do you think I’ll make the Hall of Fame?” Don’t just settle for playing in the “bigs,” bypass Little League, shoot for being one of the best!

For most of us, the realization that we might not make it big came early. My dream was crushed when as a nine year old, after all the uniforms were handed out; I was left standing on the right-field line.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my life to be a lie. If we claim to be followers of Jesus Christ but live “in darkness,” the Holy Spirit—through the apostle John—tells us we are liars. The other option is to “walk in the light,” as Jesus did when He was on the earth. If we are faithful in doing so, two things are granted to us: fellowship with other believers and continual cleansing from sin.

Sharing life with others who know Jesus is important; God did not create us to be alone! When we “walk in the light,” the dark parts of our lives are revealed, giving us the opportunity to correct them, repent, and move forward, and allowing us to grow closer to our Father along the way.