Will McComb - Soccer

I was…

A missionary kid in West Africa for most of my life. My parents went overseas while my Mom was pregnant with me, and I was born in Ivory Coast. We evacuated from Cote d’Ivoire twice because of civil war, and after jumping back and forth across the pond a few times, we ended up in Dakar, Senegal, where I spent the rest of my time until graduation.

Coming to IWU brought a lot of things to light for me. I’d lived most of my life up until that moment feeling self-righteous, born out of a staunch legalism. And in that, I judged almost everyone around me and thought of myself more highly than others.

But Christ

Woke me up out of a false sense of security in who I was and what I had done to earn God’s affection. He sat me down, face to face with my sin and inconsistencies, showing me just how “great” I was. He’s allowed me to see that pride and self-righteousness only lead to death and a stagnant walk with God.

And now…

He continues to reveal my sin to me, for I am merely a work in progress. I have earned nothing, am worthy of nothing, and am simply given grace because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. This is such a freeing thought. Nothing that happens can make God love me more or less than the very moment He gave me life (and long before that).

God is teaching me, one theme at a time, how to be more like Christ; by His grace, I hope to grow in that every day.

Life Verse

Luke 6:45 – “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”

Challenge to Other Athletes/Coaches

Think about the way other athletes are viewing you on the field. When a competitor looks at you, and says, “That’s a Christian…” does s/he follow it with, “I want to be like that,” or is it “I want nothing to do with that.” Stepping on the field gives you a chance to shine through to others in the small window that they see who you are and what you’re about. Don’t waste the opportunity to reflect Christ.