OCTOBER 24, 2025

  “Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.” 

― John Wooden

JEREMIAH 11-13

I said, ‘Obey me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God. (11:4)

1 TIMOTHY 4

4For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

6If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters,^a you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 7Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 10That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.

JOURNAL 

When you really get down to it, the odds are stacked against us. Life on earth, no matter how strong or accomplished we become, will eventually end in weakness and mortality. We live in a world full of hardship, decay, and uncertainty. Yet in the midst of this reality, God offers something far greater than escape...He offers joy. Scripture reminds us that when we seek and obey Him, we find a peace that transcends circumstances (Philippians 4:7). This joy is not contingent on success or security, but on the abiding presence of God in the ordinary rhythm of obedience.

When I read of Paul, Moses, David, and Noah, I see the same truth: joy is born not from outcomes, but from obedience. Their lives remind us that fulfillment is found not in what we accomplish, but in how faithfully we walk with God each day (Micah 6:8).

Years ago, I was struck by the metaphor of the stonecutter,  the one who chisels away, day after day, often without seeing progress. Yet one day, the stone finally cracks, not because of the last strike alone, but because of all the strikes that came before. Faith is like that. Growth is like that. Our calling is not to see immediate results but to trust that each faithful act matters.

Interestingly, modern neuroscience confirms what Scripture has long proclaimed. Studies in neuroplasticity show that when we consistently do hard things, especially those that require discipline and purpose...the brain’s prefrontal cortex strengthens, building resilience and perseverance (Duckworth, Grit, 2016; Dweck, Mindset, 2006). The joy that follows is not the reward of ease but of endurance. It’s the satisfaction of doing what we were made to do,  giving our best in the work God has placed before us (Colossians 3:23).

This is precisely the spirit Coach John Wooden instilled in his players. Success, he said, was not a scoreboard, a trophy, or applause ... it was peace of mind. It was the quiet confidence that comes from giving your absolute best to become all you were created to be. When individuals and teams adopt that posture, Wooden observed, “greatness follows naturally.”

So today, I pray for that same perspective, to see the beauty in discipline, the gift in struggle, and the blessing in simple obedience. May God protect me from apathy, worry, and fear, and replace them with gratitude and faith. May I see every challenge as an opportunity to become more of who I was designed to be, finding joy not in results, but in the journey itself.

17Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

1 TIMOTHY 6:17-19