As a player, Coach, and/or official for over half of a century, I have learned many things…far too many to go into here in this short commentary. As a Christian and believer and follower of Jesus Christ who coaches as well as being a former player and official, the choice to place priority where it should be placed is THE most important thing we can do…period.
Below is an excerpt from Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost For His Highest devotional from April 24:
“ We (referring to Christian workers and the church) have a commercialized view – we count how many souls have been saved and sanctified, we thank God, and then we think everything is all right. Yet, our work begins where God’s grace has laid the foundation. Our work is not to save souls, but to disciple them. Salvation and sanctification are the work of God’s sovereign grace, and our work as His disciples is to disciple others’ lives until they are totally yielded to God”.
The devo wraps up with: “Whenever our Lord talked about discipleship, He always prefaced His words with an ‘if’, never with a forceful or dogmatic statement – ‘You must.’ Discipleship carries with it an option.”
If you want to know what our jobs are as coaches…there it is it, right there. Sports are the vehicle…the means…that takes us on this journey of discipleship. Sports are not the destination. Our goal should be to develop young men and women of God who love and follow Jesus who are ________ (enter your sport) players. Not __________players who are young men and women of God who love and follow Jesus. There is a difference. The difference is in the priority and focus. If the sport comes first, we are missing it.
Too many athletes, and parents too unfortunately, place priority on the sport and the outcome of that sport. The fact is, if we understand and grasp on to the reality that God loves His kids and wants us to have the desires of our hearts but wants us to desire a relationship with Him, follow Him, and give our lives to Him, trust Him with our hopes and dreams, do our best at what we do for Him because we love Him, and put Him as the priority and not the sport, we will begin to understand His heart. If we will do that…put Him as the priority and not the sport…we may or may not have or achieve the success we desire. We will get infinitely more. What we receive from God are the byproducts of our relationship with God…not the reason for it.
However, the focus is up to us and does not reside solely in the rituals and traditions we, as people, create or follow. In other words, if you are at a baseball, basketball, tennis, soccer, or volleyball tournament, track meet, race, etc…on a Sunday morning and not able to be at church or corporate worship, create church and corporate worship where you are and with those around you. That’s just not for Sundays. It is for every day. Jesus, in His earthly ministry, met people where they were. He went to them. He still does that today. He meets us where we are.
Jesus commanded us in Matthew 28 verses 19-20 to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them with the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…” He said GO to where the people are…GO to where people live, work, play. Of course, do not neglect the opportunity to worship corporately, with other believers. However, Jesus did most of His best work, changing lives, restoring hearts, healing minds, bodies, and souls outside the church as outside the brick and mortar was where the needs resided…where the lost, the sick, the broken resided. That is still true today.
And, “…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…” – disciple them. Saving a soul, changing a heart, those are the job of the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. He is the only one who can. Our job is to walk along side, teach, model, encourage, love, and mentor…in other words, disciple…those He places in our spheres of influence. It begins with Him, then with us. We cannot teach what we do not understand. We cannot model what we do not do ourselves.
I have seen lives change and God do unbelievable heart surgery and restoration more outside the church than inside. I have seen Him show up on ballfields, courts, pool decks, and trails, in bars, yards, at concerts, on the street, you name it. I have seen it happen more outside the brick and mortar than inside. That is neither a coincidence nor a happenstance. It is reality and truth.
As coaches, we have been entrusted with a significant role with significant influence and opportunity. With that influence and opportunity come significant responsibility. Trust me. We will influence our players, their families, and others all around us. We can, and will, either lead them to someone, THE One, or away from someone. There is no third option. Don’t believe me? See John 14:6. He is the only way. It is 100% our choice. Like it or not, accept it or not, we will be held accountable for how we influence.
Until next time…
Coach, out.
and the colorful expressions…hence the 7. Back to planning. For our trip, the destination, conditions, and duration will determine the appropriate gear needed…appropriate being the operative term. Having the right gear will keep us from being forced to create some crazy, but no doubt colorful, story about why we packed what we did or didn’t pack what we should have. Been there…done that…got the t-shirt. We must be as prepared as possible in order to be able to handle whatever comes our way, both good and bad.
“Father, today by faith in Jesus, I put on the (1) BELT OF TRUTH. I thank You today that I know who I am in Christ – a child of God whose name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Lord, I want to by faith put on the (2) BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS to help me react to situations and people the way You want me to, not the way I may want to. Before I wake up, Lord, put on my feet the (3) BOOTS of the GOSPEL OF PEACE that I may be used by You to share Your love with others. Father, I take up the (4) SHIELD OF FAITH knowing as I place my trust in You today, You will protect me from the devil’s attacks and not allow anything to touch me. Lord, I also put on the (5) HELMET OF SALVATION. Protect my thinking from things that don’t line up with Your will. Father, I arm myself with the (6) SWORD OF THE SPIRIT which is YOUR WORD. This is my only offensive weapon but it is also defensive so that when Satan attacks me, I am armed and ready to repel all of his arrows. The victory has already been won. I march today under that great victory flag, washed by the blood, armed with the Word, dressed in the armor of righteousness, believing and thanking You for what You are going to do. Lord, I pray today that I recognize the enemy and claim VICTORY as I am properly prepared to face every challenge by Your overcoming, almighty power. In Jesus name. Amen. Ephesians 6:10-18.”
In the life of a new believer in Christ, the decision to surrender their life to Christ initiates an awesome, incredible, eternal new life. Hands down it’s the greatest decision of one’s life and a decision that can bring more freedom…peace…fulfillment… and “life” than we can possibly imagine.
Jeff Searcy 