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My son Canaan recently competed in his first jiu-jitsu competition – and won gold!!! Prior to weigh-ins, we were driving to the arena and he asked me, “Dad if I don’t get first place are you still going to be proud of me?” Talk about teeing up a “Dad win” for me. I said, “Son, I don’t care if you win, lose, or tie, I’m always on your team, always your biggest fan, and will always be your cheerleader. I just have one rule…” Canaan chimed in and finished my sentence for me, “Do my best.”

It’s been our rule from the very beginning and continues to remain in the midst of gold medal performances. Is it possible he’s going to win gold at every tournament he competes in? No, unless he retires now while on top! But does he have the opportunity to give his very best in every tournament he competes in? You bet he does, and if he does, I’ll be proud no matter what.

2 Timothy 4 reads like a father preparing his son for life with the same pregame talk I gave Canaan: “Timothy, you know my life. My faithful endurance and resilience in hardships. Prepare yourself for the same – in season, out of season, through persecutions and triumphs, preach the word and live godly. I’ve fought the good fight, I’ve finished the race, and I’ve kept the faith throughout. Do the same, Timothy. Give your very best.”

Paul’s life was far from perfect – killing Christians and destroying The Way characterized his early years of leadership, but once he met Jesus in Acts 9 everything changed. From that moment on his cry has continually been, “I’m the worst of sinners, but the grace of God has saved me. Now, I’m giving my very best.”

Maybe you’ve heaped piles of legalistic rules onto your shoulders, or maybe you live under the pressure of expectations from someone else. Whatever the case may be, I hope Paul’s letter encourages you today: Do your best. If that’s your goal, you can always win.