You are called to compete, in the best and most noble sense of the word, not compare. Comparisons are fruitless. Compete with yourself each day. Look for ways to improve your serve.

A Powerful Serve

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The most prestigious and popular tennis tournament in the world just drew to a conclusion that Wimbledon, tennis, my family and I lived in London literally just up the road from a Wimbledon lawn tennis club for 11 years. And it really was quite an amazing time of year every time that the tournament took place. Now, you know, I’m no big kind of sports sporty type person, but the buzz in the area when this tournament was on each year was incredible.

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And actually where we lived, even though the tennis courts were a good walk away and probably a 10 minute walk away, we could hear the uproar and the cheers as we sat in our back garden when the tennis was taking place. And it really was it was so exciting to hear and to and thrilling to watch. And our entire area would come alive for the weeks of the Wimbledon tournament. Yeah. Now, hundreds of thousands of people arriving on our doorstep and just so excited to be there and so excited to be a part of this whole event.

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You know, and despite all of the covid stuff that has been happening, like the Wimbledon did not happen in 2020, but by God’s grace, it was able to happen this year. And it was just so exciting to see Djokovic come through and make history like he did. But one of the things that defines many of these elite athletes in tennis is how powerful and accurate this is. And the same is true. I know it’s a, you know, a powerful, accurate serve.

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And I was thinking about this this morning and I thought, wow, the same is true in the creative business that we are part of. And I got to thinking, how strong is your sense of how well this how well do you know your target market? How well defined and accurate is your service to them? Do you understand the pains that they’re experiencing with regard to the solutions that you are offering? Do you know the joy that they are seeking and that they’ve set before them and and the ways in which are you improving all at all at the time?

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Are you improving the ways in which you can help them fulfil their joy at creative life, especially when we’re talking about vocational Christian entrepreneurship and artistry? And by vocational, I mean called to the marketplace. I don’t just mean the stuff you do and fill your time with every day, but a sense of mission, a sense of calling, a sense of like the reason for being here is that that is the life of service that we’ve been called to as a Christian artist, author, entrepreneur, someone who’s bringing personal value to the world’s table.

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What you offer is more than just a commodity. Commodities compete on cost alone, but you bring something priceless into the arena, something that places you in a company of one. Yeah, you you, you, you bring yourself to the table in the same way as these remarkable men and women. Yeah. On the on the Wimbledon courts, in the same way that this has been honed through practise, you hone your serve and you improve your service through practise, putting yourself out there and helping other people.

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I encourage you to do that. Don’t just, you know, prove that you can help people by helping them. Don’t just speak about how strong your serve is. Step into the arena and take some swings, you know, and as you do that, you’ll improve your game and you will inevitably improve your impact and your income as you do. So it’s really the only way to play. And you’ve got to understand that we are in a game.

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You know, there has to be joy in the pursuit. I mean, doubtless my own daughter was an elite gymnast. Yeah, I know how hard they work. I know that the hours and the sweat and the tears that went in to her in into her elite gym gymnastic. And now in Bali and, you know, it’s but there is a joy that said before them, there is some some sense of purpose bigger than themselves that’s at work in them that prompts them and propels them through the necessary discipline and the pain and challenges that they face in order to hold that cup in their hand.

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And as you do that, you know, this is this is the same game that we play as Christian businessmen, businesswomen, Christian artists, Christian authors, entrepreneurs. We are called to compete in the best and the most noble sense of the word compete, not compare. Comparisons are completely fruitless. And competing in the most noble sense of the word is to compete with yourself, compete with yourself, look for ways to improve your serve. And not only that, I love Hebrews 10, verse 24 encourages us to encourage each other, spurring one another on to love and good works.

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You know, part of the game is working with others. Part of the game is helping others. Part of the game is inspiring and spurring others to become their very best selves. As they find their stride, as they practice their swing, it’s to cheer them on. I especially love the message translation. It reads like this. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging one another. Let’s let’s become inventive and see how inventive we can be in this art of encouragement.

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What better way to exercise your creativity than inventing ways to spur your brothers and sisters to excel in their commitment to change the world. And I promise you, as you do, that you will be changing the world for that person and for everyone else they reach and obviously direct from you to your community. Don’t hold back. Just keep practising your serve. The biggest game you’ll ever play, the biggest grand slam that you’ll ever enjoy is right here in the purpose of God.

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And I encourage you to play to win. Well, thanks for listening. Hopefully it’s been an encouragement to you today, if you want to connect any further, you can do so through my website at Davidleemartin.com. Have a great day.