在1997年，愛荷華州立大學為紀念該校首位黑人運動員傑克．特萊斯（Jack Trice），以他的名字為學校美式足球場命名。令人惋惜的是，特萊斯卻從未在愛荷華州上場比賽。他在1923年10月6日，在明尼蘇達州的某個城市參加第二場的大學校際比賽時，因遭受嚴重內傷而不幸逝世。

在比賽的前一晚，特萊斯給自己寫了一張紙條，表達他的決心：「我的種族、家庭和我個人的榮譽都岌岌可危。每個人都期望我能有所作為，我一定不會辜負大家的期待！明天，我將毫無保留地投入比賽。每次發球，我絕對會全力以赴！」特萊斯深刻明白自己的身分，他所做的都是為了捍衛自身的榮譽與尊嚴，這也使他擁有無比的勇氣。

在寫給以弗所教會的書信中，使徒保羅也有類似的勸勉。他鼓勵信徒在做每一個決定時，都要切記自己在基督裡的身分：「我為主被囚的勸你們：既然蒙召，行事為人就當與蒙召的恩相稱」（以弗所書4章1節）。耶穌已為我們犧牲，在我們心中動工，並要透過我們影響他人，因此保羅勉勵我們活出被耶穌改變的生命。這種生命具備謙虛、溫柔、忍耐、合一、愛與和平的特質（2-3節），讓我們在運用上帝賦予的恩賜彼此服事時（15-16節），能體現出來。

In 1997, Iowa State University named its football stadium after the school’s first black athlete: Jack Trice. Tragically, Trice had never even played in Ames, Iowa—he died from internal injuries sustained during a play in his second college game, played in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 6, 1923.

Trice wrote a note to himself the night before the game, bearing witness to his determination:

“The honor of my race, family, and self are at stake. Everyone is expecting me to do big things. I will! My whole body and soul are to be thrown recklessly about on the field tomorrow. Every time the ball is snapped, I will be trying to do more than my part.” Trice profoundly understood that what he did flowed from the honor and dignity of who he was, infusing his character with courage. 

The apostle Paul says something similar in his letter to the Ephesians, challenging believers to let who they were in Christ influence every decision: “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1). Paul challenges us to embrace a way of living shaped by Jesus’ work for us, in us, and through us, which yields humility, gentleness, patience, unity, love, and peace (vv. 2-3) as we use our God-given gifts to serve one another (vv. 15-16).