The value of your life comes from a relationship. Your losses do not define you. Nor do your wins. The way to live a joyful life comes from seeking to bring glory to God. Just ask Coach Tony Bennett. He’s the coach of the newly crowned NCAA men’s basketball champs, the Virginia Cavaliers. His time as a coach has had its ups and downs. The most significant down came last year, when Virginia lost—as a number one team—to a team who barely made the NCAA tournament, a 16 seed. That had never happened before. Your losses do not define you… Coach Bennett is a follower of Christ. He prays for his players to stay healthy and to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. He coaches his team based on what he calls the “Five Pillars” – humility, passion, unity, servanthood, and thankfulness. Sound familiar? These values show up repeatedly in the New Testament as traits of a Christian disciple. How do you recover from a crushing loss? By running the right race. Here’s Bennett: “If my life is just about winning championships—if it’s just about being the best—then I’m running the wrong race. That’s empty. But if it’s about trying to be excellent and do things the right way…always in the process trying to bring glory to God—then that’s the right thing.” Be excellent. Serve passionately. Always remember we are here to glory God. If you are a parent reading this, what if you took those Five Pillars used by Coach Bennett and lifted them up for your family life? I plan to. Run the right race. Remember: The value of your life comes from a relationship with Jesus. “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). Congrats to Texas Tech and Virginia for a championship game very well played. Thanks be to God for using a basketball coach to proclaim where true victory is found. Peace, Pastor Drew https://billygraham.org/decision-magazine/july-august-2014/faith-on-and-off-the-court/