Win the day!

I am a tried and true, desperately loyal, college football fan.

I love the sport. I love the environment. I love the traditions. I love that (for the most part) the players haven't been corrupted by million dollar contracts- so they play with a purity that isn't present in the NFL.

But what I love most about college football is when you stumble across a coach who is changing lives, not just winning games. A coach who cares more about the world outside of football, than the legacy of wins and loses he accrues in his career.

Last night was a wonderful football game. Two teams, well matched in their talent and ability, tied up to the last 2 seconds of the game.

And yet, this morning it's not the winning team I can't quit thinking about. It's Chip Kelly, head coach of the Oregon Ducks.

"Kelly preaches a single message to his team, and it’s this: Win the day. Who cares about tomorrow, who cares about yesterday, all that is demanded of you is that you win the day. That means have an excellent practice, that means have an excellent day of rest, that means every hour of every day, be there, be present. That also means do not think about the National Championship, just think about today, just get up and do your work." (This quote is taken from Donald Miller's blog- where you can read more about the Oregon Ducks and Chip Kelly)

And I am left wondering what the world would look like if we, as Christians, truly adopted this motto as our own?

Win the day. Win the day by winning each interaction you have with another human being. Win the day by reflecting His grace and mercy in whatever trial faces you this hour. Win the day by honoring God in the conversation you have on the phone, the email you send, and your facebook status. Win the day by extending forgiveness rather than anger. By offering patience instead of intolerance.

These sound like such lofty aspirations, but I just wonder how much more we might reflect our Creator if we simply focused on winning the day, or the hour, or the minute at hand?

After all, we aren't guaranteed tomorrow, so why not focus on winning today for Him?