The Path
By Ed Cerny
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths." — Proverbs 3:5–6
Too often as coaches we feel we know the right way—the right way to go. If we would stop and think of these verses, we might take a different path. Since we are coaches, others look to us for leadership, and we might be leading in the wrong direction. We might let our bias get in the way of seeing the real potential of student athletes. We may only see what we think they can do for our career or our team instead of how the Lord is looking at them.
To trust in the Lord with all of our heart requires discipline—discipline to listen to the Lord and not ourselves. We need to acknowledge that He has the answers and He knows the direction we need to follow. We do not. He knows our hearts, our minds, and our motives. Too often as coaches we get caught up in the “what others think” game. We know the right thing to do, but we hesitate to do it because it might not look right to the right people. We leave God out of the equation because we’re coaches and coaches always know what’s best for the student athletes in our care—or we think we do. If we trust our Lord, He will provide the light to follow the right path. He never fails us if we let Him lead.
1. What decisions as a coach have you made that you did not allow the Lord to make the correct call? What was the outcome?
2. What decision as a coach do you need to allow the Lord to lead in today?
3. How can you as a coach teach this principle to other coaches and players?
Extra Reading: Genesis 30:22–24; Exodus 2:9; Psalm 125:1; Hebrews 3:15–19
Lord, help me be the coach You want me to be, under Your guidance. Increase my dependence on You in my decisions and decrease my dependence on myself. Show me what to do and what to say today. Amen.