Why Do You Coach?

It’s a common mindset in sports. Those who want to win above all else, so the thinking goes, possess the heart of “a true competitor” … “a real champion.”

Yet from a biblical perspective, winning indeed isn’t everything, and it’s not the only thing. In fact, it’s relatively insignificant. The Bible never measures success by human standards.

So why do you coach? What’s your “why”?

As we reflect on this, let’s consider 2 Timothy 1:9: “He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”

The apostle Paul here lists two reasons why God saved us from our sins and called us to walk in faith and obedience: His purpose and grace. God’s grace is His unmerited favor toward us. We did nothing to deserve His love, His forgiveness or the eternal life He offers. It’s all grace through faith.

In fact, if you are His child, He bestowed this indescribable, sin-shattering, death-defying grace upon you “before the beginning of time.” The Ancient of Days wrote your name in His book before you were born. The Lord God Almighty chose you before you drew breath.

In addition to God’s grace, Paul also talks about God’s purpose in saving us. What is this purpose? While Paul doesn’t elaborate on it much here, we see elsewhere in Scripture that God’s ultimate purpose in everything is to bring glory to Himself. This always results in our good!

God created us for His glory (Isaiah 43:7), and He saves us for His glory. It’s clear, then, that the life He calls us to is also for His glory. This includes everything we put our hands to, including coaching. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

The next time you pick up the clipboard, put on the headset or loop the whistle around your neck, remember God’s glory. Our gracious God set His affection upon us in eternity past, sent His perfect Son to redeem us from sin and death, and lovingly called us into His forever kingdom. As coaches who follow Christ, we are defined — and should be motivated — by something far greater than wins and losses in competition.