God's Fearless Warrior

One of my favorite Bible stories is David versus Goliath. David was small, weaker than most his age and, by the world’s standards, not prepared to play in the “big game” against the Philistines. If we had read the pregame report for this battle, David would not have been on the roster. But David surprised everyone. He was empowered by his belief in a God who could overcome any obstacle or challenge—even a Philistine giant!

My “David” experience came after a game against our league rival. As expected, our team’s invitation for postgame prayer had been met with rejection from the opposing team. As our team gathered, however, I looked at our sea of white jerseys and saw one solitary blue jersey. In the middle of our huddle sat my “David”! His jersey was clean, he didn’t weigh more than 150 pounds, and he looked more like a manager than a football player. But he had come to pray.

What happened next was amazing. Some of “David’s” teammates from the opposing side noticed that he was with us. I don’t know what motivated them, but one by one, his teammates joined our team for prayer. “David” had stepped out in faith to do what he knew his God wanted him to do, and that one step had an impact on hundreds of people that night!

As coaches, we are challenged every day to do what is right. As coaches committed to Jesus, the one who offered Himself for our sake, we are called to do what is right regardless of the obstacles or costs. David could have lost his life by fighting Goliath. My “David” could have lost his reputation by praying with our team. With each individual, God was faithful and produced a great victory.