Coaching

December 5, 2019

Leadership makes all the difference. Pastors who have a clear vision, who tend to the foundational matters of faith, who know how to encourage people, and are willing to risk everything for the Gospel, almost inevitably lead growing congregations. Conversely, those who are just doing the job, who don’t pay attention to sound teaching, who lord it over others, or who play it safe, end up with shrinking and dying churches. 

In the military, soldiers outnumbered and under equipped have often been victorious over larger and better equipped adversaries when they have outstanding leadership. In the American Civil War, president Lincoln found his superior forces stymied again and again by Confederate armies markedly inferior in manpower and armament. Until U.S. Grant, the Union forces were commanded by inferior generals who played it safe, while Robert E. Lee took risks. When politicians tried to cashier Grant, Lincoln said, “I can’t afford to lose him. He fights.”

Tonight, we watched our granddaughters play non-league basketball against a school many times the size of Panama. In both JV and Varsity, they nearly doubled the score against a team with nearly three times as many players. The Panama girls aren’t naturally more talented than the girls of the other team. But they are better coached, and that made all the difference. 

It’s a symbiotic relationship, though. If a player is not coach able, refusing to listen or work hard, nothing good will come. But when a coach knows how to inspire, to build confidence, to do the foundational work of the game, the team can soar far beyond expectations. We witnessed that tonight, and it was beautiful to see.

As Christians, we have a life coach par excellence. There is no better than Jesus Christ, for he is the One who created us, in whose image we are recreated by faith. There is no excuse for sloppy teamwork or uninspiring living. We have a life Coach whose vision and game plan is without equal, and even though it often seems that we are outnumbered, we are never outclassed because we are never out coached. I am grateful tonight for the example of outstanding coaching I witnessed, and for the life lesson in it, to be a better coach myself because I have been coached by the best.