Now finally, all of you should be like-minded and sympathetic, should love believers, and be compassionate and humble, not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you can inherit a blessing. — –9
I wonder sometimes if we coaches miss opportunities to really know our athletes. The stars quite naturally stand out, but are we missing something about the remainder of the team? Do we often overlook the athlete who works hard every day just to be noticed by us? When we think about it, we had a great example of a person who took great care to bring individuals to himself. Christ’s life on earth serves as the ideal of how we are to treat every individual on our team, and focusing on Him is crucial because we are prone to forget that an athletic team is made up of more than the stars. Each member is important.
Anyone choosing to be a part of a team must accept responsibility to build up and encourage everyone. Let’s be careful not to focus on the stars. Sometimes a simple pat on the back is all it takes to show we care. Jesus reaches for us before we even ask. Aren’t we to do the same? Yes, we are to follow His example and show compassion for all of our players. Jesus loves us, and we should do the same for others.
The reason we are given talent is for the glory of God. That means each person is uniquely designed to glorify God in a special way. This truth helps us remember that everyone on the team has a contribution to make and is therefore worthy of our attention.
1. Are we teaching our athletes to encourage one another by our personal example?
2. How do you view the members of your team? Pray for grace to model Christ’s love to them.
Extra Reading: –7; –2
Lord, please help me appreciate every member of my team. Help me make them feel important and needed to make our team complete. I pray that others will always see You in our behavior on the court and off. Amen.