We coaches spend a great deal of time and energy trying to instill confidence in our athletes. Hopefully our efforts are effective not only in competition but also in every area of our players’ lives. False confidence, the sort that stems from reliance on ourselves or our circumstances, is quite common in sports because it so easily comes with much flexing of muscles. Quiet confidence, on the other hand, is the opposite of surety that is built on physical strength. Quiet confidence comes only through faith in God, and it results in an assurance that we can handle whatever we face. How often do we conduct team practice with a quiet confidence?

Additionally, how can we practice quiet confidence in our daily lives? The psalmist tells us that we need only to trust God and put our hope in Him. Since He is sovereign over everything that happens, what could possibly give us more confidence? We can be confident that we are divinely guided, that we will always make the right turn in the road because it is the one appointed to us by God. When everything looks bleak, we realize that God is still in control. We have no reason to be discouraged. As coaches, we prepare our teams to approach competition with confident, positive attitudes. As the sons and daughters of God, we should approach our lives in the same manner.