Devotional

Balance

Ready 

To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband. — Ephesians 5:33

Set 

I love coaching. I love it so much that I could spend all of my waking hours at it. This all-consuming nature of my sport means that most coaches’ spouses are basically single parents. Too many end up divorced. My wife, Kim, would probably have left me if I had been a coach before now.

Why such a dismal track record when it comes to coaches and their family lives? Most of us fail to balance our lives, letting the season become more important than our families. Some never let up, not even during the off-season. I see many failed marriages in the coaching ranks. It is a strange paradox. What good is it to win the Super Bowl, the national title, or a state championship if your wife has left you and your children are strangers? Winning a trophy but losing the greater prize is too high a price to pay. It’s not worth it.

As coaches we are parents, mentors, and teachers to our charges. We have a great opportunity to not only teach our players the game, but to also teach them about life. Having a healthy family life is the greatest testimony to the concept of teamwork. Showing our players what a happy home looks like is one of the most important lessons we can convey.

A healthy and happy home starts with mom and dad. The kids need to see them relating, learning, and growing together. If, on the whole, the parents are on good terms with each other, then most of the time the family is usually in pretty good shape.

Coaches must not lose touch with what’s most important. We need to focus on the game, but not forget our families. We don’t want to end our careers with a mantle full of trophies and an empty living room. Regardless of how many wins are accumulated, a family lost to the game makes a loser in the end. Let’s make sure we are winners at home. Let’s find the balance.

Go 

1. What does God want you to do as a result of today’s reading?

Workout 

Extra Reading: Genesis 2:4–24

Overtime 

Father, by Your grace, make me the family man or woman that You desire. Amen.

Bible Reference: 
Ephesians 5
Ministry