Maximum Effort

High school football season is in full swing, so it’s a good time for me as a coach to do some evaluating by asking what kind of effort we are giving in order to make our team successful.

As I’ve been examining the effort of our team, I’ve thought a lot about spiritual matters, as well. Many coaches and athletes will give maximum effort in order to be a winning team. There is great satisfaction in giving your all and having it pay off. And when November arrives, some of these teams will have secured playoff berths and won championships. They will feel rewarded for their efforts.

As we continue in this season, though, what spiritual seeds are we sowing? Are we giving as generously in our spiritual lives as we are in our athletic lives? As Christian coaches and athletes, we need to remember our mission. What we sow in the lives of our players and teammates will mature one day. Scoreboards go out at the end of the game. Trophies gather dust and are eventually pushed to the back of the trophy case.

Our spiritual lives and the investments we make in others in the name of Jesus will last for eternity. The greatest reward will be when He says to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25).