I once was leaving my office late after a challenging day. Just as I was locking the door, a student whom I barely knew asked if he could speak with me for a few minutes. My initial thought was to ask him to come back tomorrow. I’d already worked later than usual and I was tired, but I noticed something in his eyes, so I unlocked my door and invited him in.

I was stunned by what he wanted to talk about: he wanted to know why there was something different about me, a kindness he hadn’t seen in others. Just seconds before I was thinking of how I could postpone this meeting until another time, and then there I was, telling a young man what motivated me to care about him. I told him the good news of Jesus Christ, the One who cared so much for us that He took the punishment for our sins on Himself by going to the cross.

When the Lord places opportunities in front of us, there are times when the circumstances aren’t suited to our personal comfort. But opportunities given us by God always have eternal significance. If we are to influence the people around us, particularly the athletes we coach, we must be ready—even when we’d rather do something else—to represent Christ by our words, thoughts, and actions. We must yield to the person and work of Jesus living in us so that the people He sends our way are loved with His love. We never know how He might lead us.