Tuesday, September 24, 2002
Tuesday, September 24, 2002
All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor's work, will
become a cause for pride.
Knute Rockne was a motivator. At the halftime of one game, his Notre Dame Fighting Irish
were playing poorly. The team walked dejectedly to the locker room where they braced
themselves. They knew Rockne would tear into them. They sat and sat, but Rockne did not
appear. Finally as the team began to head toward the door for the beginning of the second
half, Rockne came walking in. He looked around and started to walk back out again. Then he
said simply, "Oh, sorry, I was looking for the Notre Dame football team." Notre Dame won the
game.
Pride in what you do and how you do it are powerful motivators. There are people in this world
who work just for the pride of doing what they can do as well as they are able. They are often
given increases in salary, but it is not money that motivates them. They receive appreciation
and recognition, but again, that is not what pushes their button. Something internal pushes
them to give their best. The world would be a much poorer world without such folks. I know
your church would be poorer without them.
(Galatians 6.4
NRSV)
Coach Gene Stallings tells of an incident when he was defensive backfield coach of the Dallas
Cowboys. Two All-Pro players, Charlie Waters and Cliff Harris, were sitting in front of their
lockers after playing a tough game against the Washington Redskins. They were still in their
uniforms, and their heads were bowed in exhaustion. Waters turned to Harris and asked, "By
the way, Cliff, what was the final score?" For these two professionals, what mattered was not
winning or losing as much as playing the game itself.
God of work and play, help me to have a great sense of pride as I faithfully serve you. Amen.
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