Everything in me wanted to be the fast marathoner that my bib number said I was. The big “B” on my bib, which indicated that I had qualified for a fast start corral, got tons of comments from other runners and made me feel pretty special. I even started to believe that my month off from running wouldn’t matter and that I’d be blessed with a 3:30 marathon simply because I’d done it before. Let me explain…

1. Pray. We would not let even one day go by without discussing strategies, plays, tips for improvement, or game plans with our players and staff. We must adopt the same attitude toward our prayer life and not approach any decision, day, or activity without first seeking God.

2. Read the Bible. Coaches expect players to be prepared for any situation that may confront them during the game. God expects the same of us. He wants us to read our “playbooks” daily so that we are equipped to play the game of life.

I have many memorable moments from my coaching days. I recall a pregame meeting that actually involved no talk about the upcoming game. Usually we reviewed assignments and our first series of plays, but in this particular meeting I took another direction. I told the players how I had been praying for them. I prayed for their safety on the field and that they would do well in the classroom. Most importantly, I prayed that if they were uncertain about their salvation that God would send them to me or some other Christian who would show them how to have a personal relationship with God.

Why do you practice? Is there really a purpose in it? The answer is yes.

My baseball coach always asked us a question after we got done practicing: “Why do we practice?” And in typical form, we would all yell, “TO GET BETTER!” But practicing isn’t just for athletes; it’s for Christians, too.

This past December I attended a high school basketball game—not an unusual event for the month. But what was unique about this game wasn’t what took place on the court, but what I witnessed on the bench. One of the players who had started in the previous game wasn’t starting this night. As a matter of fact, he only played about a minute in each half. The player was obviously disappointed when he came out of the game after only being in for a minute. He even politely asked the coach, “What did I do?” I could read the coach’s lips as he replied, “You didn’t do anything wrong.” Disappointed, the player took his spot on the bench.

When I first started working towards becoming a head coach, people wondered if I could do it. I wasn’t the type to yell at people. I wasn’t the type to get in people’s faces. They didn’t know if I could control the players. How would they respond to my coaching style? How would I handle being in charge of an entire team?

My style has always been one that relies on motivation, encouragement and teaching. I always want to help people get better. That’s the idea behind correction. It’s not about tearing people down. It’s about helping them improve. You have to let them know when they’ve done something wrong, but the goal is helping them became a better player and a better person.

God knows and directs all that happens in our lives. How foolish it is for us to contend with our Creator.

Jeremiah illustrates how God, at times, allows His children to experience brokenness in order to renew their original purpose. Jeremiah 18:3-7 states, “I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, working away at the wheel. But the jar that he was making from the clay became flawed in the potter’s hand, so he made it into another jar, as it seemed right for him to do. The word of the Lord came to me: ‘House of Israel, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay?’—this is the Lord’s declaration. ‘Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand.’ ”