Staring down the actual Declaration of Independence before stepping into the octagon as an underdog to beat the piss out of an undefeated fighter in front of the world is an extraordinary level of legendary
💥 As I’ve said before, it never gets old.
The Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon crushed it at UFC Freedom 250.
Precision, discipline, and professionalism on full display. 🦅🌎⚓️
Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman was asked about the role Jesus plays in his life. And his answer cuts straight to the thing most athletes never say out loud.
"He's my Lord and Savior. Not only that, also my teacher. I try to study scripture each day and learn more about Jesus every day and kind of model my life after him. My performance in the game or whatever's happening isn't my identity. Rather, as a disciple of Jesus. That's the foundation of my life and it kind of makes me who I am."
That one sentence deserves to sit for a moment. My performance in the game is not my identity. That is one of the hardest things for any athlete to actually believe. The entire sports world is built around performance. Your value is your numbers. Your worth is your contract. Your identity is your stats. And Tommy Edman looked at all of that and said: none of that is who I am.
He is a disciple of Jesus. That is his identity. The baseball is just what he does.
He also said something that reveals how he maintains that foundation. He studies scripture every day. Not weekly. Not when he feels like it. Every day. And he is actively trying to learn more about Jesus and model his life after Him. That is discipleship. That is not a Sunday morning posture. That is a daily practice of sitting at the feet of the teacher and asking to become more like Him.
In a culture that attaches worth to performance and identity to achievement, Tommy Edman is building his life on something that does not move when the batting average drops.
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5).
Is your identity built on what you do or on who Jesus says you are?
This is what it looks like when someone refuses to let their performance define them. Tommy Edman plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers, one of the most watched teams in baseball, and he said plainly that his identity has nothing to do with what happens on the field. He is a disciple of Jesus. That is it. That is who he is. And he studies scripture every day to stay rooted in that truth. Pray for Tommy Edman and pray that more athletes build their identity on Jesus instead of their jersey number.
If you’re gonna force players to wear the rainbow, don’t get mad when they teach you what the rainbow actually means.
It’s not a celebration of sin, it’s a covenant with God’s people.