As we walked out of the arena after an amazing victory, everyone felt the excitement and satisfaction of hard-won accomplishment. My daughter’s high school wrestling team had just emerged from a year’s incredible effort as the Girls State Champions for the first time in school history! In that golden moment, they proved the power of working together to win; many challenges, including gospel living, require the same relationship.
Working Together With Dedication
Every time I was around my daughter’s team this year, the coaching staff kept repeating two important words: “Outwork everyone!”
This clarion call is for all athletes who have a goal to win! It’s easy to say the words. Living these words is more difficult.
This team is made up of many young wrestlers, most with experience of two years or less. But these girls made up for less experience by more hard work.
The benefits of winning require working together to deliver in day-to-day moments.
They committed to themselves and each other to follow their coaches and work hard. They knew that skipping a day would be a day less toward accomplishing their goals.
Their consistency and effort in working together made a difference. Throughout the year they executed moves thousands of times in practice.
In addition, the most dedicated girls wrestled all they could in the offseason as well as in their season of commitment. Also, instead of taking long breaks from working out in the summer, they went to camps and participated in national tournaments with top competition.
With similar dedication, we can become consistent and committed as disciples of Christ as we contribute our individual efforts in working together. Building testimonies as followers of Jesus requires our best efforts.
When we dedicate our time to building our spiritual strength by doing the things that bring us closer to Christ, rather than some of the easier, more relaxing pastimes available to us, we can feel how practices such as studying and praying with real intent become part of who we are and what we are able to do.
Working together—learning and serving together—strengthens all of us in our love for and relationship with Jesus Christ. Gerrit W. Gong refers to this as “covenant belonging”: “To belong with God and to walk with each other on His covenant path.” 1
Working With the Best Leadership
My daughter and her teammates have a team of coaches who work together to make sure that the girls have everything they need to grow, learn, and succeed.
These leaders have set up a very specific schedule to put the girls through the toughest preparation for competition. They have spent time with each wrestler individually, calling her to encourage her in her home workouts and to discuss strategies.
The girls trust their coaches and follow teachings and guidance with precision.
The coaches taught the girls what they would need to do to become state champions and later helped them navigate the difficult postseason. Even though every girl may not have won every match, their coaches set them up for ultimate victory.
Having good leaders affects all aspects of life. Working on spiritual goals without Christ’s involvement and leadership lacks purpose, direction, and motivation. Christ is why and how we extend our efforts.
Christ is the ultimate leader. He leads us by example, showing us how we can become more like Him.
He guides us on the paths we individually need to learn and grow. He doesn’t merely point in a direction and expect us to follow it as we will. Following Christ means we work together with Him.
He has promised us that He will take the time to answer us if we take the time to ask Him. He has assured us that we are never alone, and He will be there if we open the door for Him and work together with Him
Christ and our Heavenly Father know that tough trials in our lives help us prepare for ultimate blessings—to return to live with them again one day.
We don’t always win, and we may sometimes feel lost or uncertain in our faith. Christ has promised us that if we will endure to the end we will have the ultimate victory of living with Him again
Jeffrey R. Holland taught, “Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come” (emphasis in original). 2
After all of our challenges, failures, and heartaches, if we put in our effort and follow the leader of all leaders, we will have the ultimate victory that only the Savior of the world can provide.
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