Man Up - A Minute of Vision for Men

Man Up

One of the things we love about sports is what the extremely talented athletes who play them can do under pressure. For some players, those in-the-moment actions establish their legacies. We cheer for young athletes with potential to seize the opportunities and endure the pressure so that they can cement their legacies. Let’s be honest: performance under pressure is what separates the men from the boys, the great from the good.

In Super Bowl 50, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton faced the pressure of the number-one-ranked defense in the NFL. The Denver Broncos front seven harassed Newton the entire game, sacking him seven times. As the clock wound down, it seemed that Newton wouldn’t emerge the victor by overcoming that pressure. To Newton’s credit, rarely did the offensive package call for an extra tight end or halfback to stay in and block for him. Instead, the offensive coordinator left it to his offensive line and Newton’s ability to scramble to keep the MVP quarterback on his feet and out of trouble. I would suspect that Newton will take his game to another level during the off-season and come back even better.

Pressure can make us stronger. In the book of James, we are told to consider it pure joy when we encounter trials that test us, because perseverance is being developed (see James 1:2-4).

If you are in the cauldron of pressure, I want to encourage you to embrace it and to man up. Proverbs 24:10 says, “If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small.” And we don’t want to have small strength.

Man up by being courageous, being strengthened, and choosing to persevere!

If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small.

Proverbs 24:10