“You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result.” — Genesis 50:20
It is easy to praise and worship the Lord when our team is scoring touchdowns, making three-pointers and scoring goals. But often we find ourselves in positions where things are not working out quite the way we would like. It is during the tough times that we have the greatest opportunity to reflect God’s light and love.
We have to understand that God looks at our lives from an eternal perspective. He sees our entire life as a portrait, totally complete, and that everything that happens in our lives is for His glory. As coaches we counsel our players on a daily basis, always trying to help them realize that what we are asking them to do is for the good of the team. We may ask a player to be a decoy on one play because we know the reaction it will elicit from the opposing defense. It might not enhance that particular player’s resume—it might even hurt it at that moment—but as coaches we know that the team will benefit. In the end, this is all that really matters. Often it is easy to give that sort of counsel to our players, but as believers, we cannot just be hearers of the Word; we must do what it says.
1. Can you remember a time in your professional or personal life where you were faced with adversity and had to sacrifice your pride for the good of the whole?
2. How can you reflect God’s perspective on a situation you are dealing with right now?
3. As a coach, how can God’s perspective help you deal with the players and coaches you have been blessed with on a daily basis?
Extra Reading: Job 2:10; Proverbs 3:5–6; Matthew 6:33; Romans 8:28
Heavenly Father, please grant me the wisdom that only You can provide, that I would have Your perspective on every situation placed in front of me. Give me the strength to react according to Your will, knowing that all things happen for good for those who love You. Amen.