Friday, November 21, 2014
Great Coaches
Millions of people throughout the
world take a good deal of interest in sports teams and athletes who have
distinguished themselves as exceptional.
Maybe this is because we all want to win or become the best we can be. Usually great athletes and great teams are
profoundly influenced by great coaches. This
begs the question, "What makes a coach great?" Below are a few philosophical insights about
coaching from coaches who have proven track records.
·
"I won't accept anything less than the best a player's
capable of doing, and he has the right to expect the best that I can do for him
and the team... To solve big problems you have to be willing to do unpopular
things." --Lou Holtz
·
"Coaches have to watch for what they don't want to see and
listen to what they don't want to hear." --John Madden
·
"Probably my best quality as a coach is that I ask a lot of
challenging questions and let the person come up with the answer." --Phil Dixon
·
"A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather
than what they are." --Ara Parasheghian
·
"I
have found that being honest is the best technique I can use. Right up front,
tell people what you're trying to accomplish, and what you're willing to
sacrifice to accomplish it." --Lee
Iococca
·
"Be
more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character
is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you
are." --John Wooden
Notice the sound principles, the firmness
and the honesty of these successful leaders. Similar characteristics are what
make great pastors. A pastor's role is
very similar to that of a coach. Here
are some of God's strong opinions about what makes a preacher either terrible
or great:
"Don't listen to the sermons of the
prophets. It's all hot air. Lies, lies, and more lies. They make it all up. Not
a word they speak comes from me. They preach their 'Everything
Will Turn Out Fine' sermon to congregations with no taste for God, Their
'Nothing Bad Will Ever Happen to You' sermon to people who are set in their own
ways. Have any of these prophets bothered to meet with me, the true GOD? bothered
to take in what I have to say? listened to and then lived out my Word? You
prophets who do nothing but dream— go ahead and tell your silly dreams.
But
you prophets who have a message from me— tell it truly and faithfully. What
does straw have in common with wheat? Nothing else is like GOD's Decree. Isn't
my Message like fire? ... Isn't it like a sledgehammer busting a rock?" (Jeremiah
23:16-18; 28-29 MSG)
We
live in a time when spiritual coaching is not always welcomed. Pastors are often encouraged to keep things
light and positive. Many people are
calling for "Everything Will Turn Out fine" sermons. The results speak for themselves. Pastors need not be mean or bigoted, but,
according to God's philosophy, they are coaches and if they do not resolutely
represent God, they render themselves ineffective. I am so thankful for the people who have
spoken truth into my life -- people who did not cave in to political
correctness or popular opinions. If you
have been blessed to have someone like that in your life, please let them know
how much you appreciate them. We need more
great spiritual coaches just like them.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Wouldn't Trade Ya
In fiction, Tom Sawyer was crafty enough to get his comrades
to give him their treasures for a chance to help whitewash his Aunt Polly's
fence. In history, Dutch colonist, Peter
Minuit was credited with purchasing the island of Manhattan from the native Americans
in exchange for traded goods valued at 60 guilders, in 1626. Both of these
transactions turned out to be great deals.
In real life, many readers may have first entered the marketplace of
bargaining when they pulled something out of their lunch box, turned to a
classmate and said, "Trade
ya."
To oversimplify life, everything is a trade out. We give our time and skills to our employer for
a paycheck. We give time and commitment
to our friends and family in order to be a part of their lives. We pledge monthly payments for the use of a
house or a car. We take the time and
effort to shower in order to enjoy good hygiene. We adjust our diet in hopes of maintaining
good health. We trade.
Then, usually through painful experiences, we learn that there
are those who are eager to swindle us... to get us to make a bad trade. We find out there are no free lunches and
that you get what you pay for. We learn
the odds are against us when it comes to things like carnival games, cheap
furniture and the lottery. In short,
wise people learn when to not to make the trade.
Life affords all of us some things that are too valuable to
trade. They are priceless things that we
can all attain and hold on to no matter our culture, economic status, intellect
or abilities. They are so prized that
the enemy of our souls makes it his business to steal and to destroy these
assets. Using tools such as the world system, jealousy, fear, public opinion,
and peer pressure, the enemy will try to get us to trade:
·
Real, fulfilling intimacy for cheap sex
·
Character for popularity
·
A sound mind and healthy brain for drugs and
alcohol
·
Truth for a convenient philosophy
·
Selflessness for narcissism
·
A genuine relationship with God for religion
But, as the greatest teacher
who ever lived once said, "And
what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is
anything worth more than your soul?" (Matthew 16:26 NLT) As Thanksgiving Day approaches I am
reminded of all the important things I have been given and that only I can
trade away. This is the time of year I
will savor the best things in life; things like integrity, morality, civility,
community and honesty. Whenever I
perceive that something or someone is bidding for these treasures , I will
stiffen my resolve and respond, " I would't trade ya - not for the whole
world."
Friday, November 07, 2014
Convinced
I am convinced God is
doing great things in our world. I am
convinced that America has yet to see its greatest divine visitation. I spite of chaos throughout the world and a
heightened sense of fear and worry in
our country, I see signs of great hope.
Perhaps a very personal story will explain my optimism.
Almost a quarter century ago a young man from the church I
pastor married a young lady from the deep South. They rented an apartment in Thompson, CT, and
set out to establish a family. Soon it
became apparent that they may not be able to have children. Because of their deep faith in God and His
power to answer prayer, this couple began asking God to bless them with a
baby. Nothing changed. They began to wonder.
Then God spoke hope into their lives. Our church believes that God still speaks directly
to people and that he also uses men and women of God to speak into people's
lives. In one particular service a guest
minister specifically told them that God was going to give them a baby. They were thrilled. They believed whole-heartedly. But several years passed... and still no
child. On another occasion another
visiting minister told them the same thing.
Again, years passed and they were still not able to conceive.
This couple's faith was now being tested much like Abraham
and Sarah, whose story is recorded in the first book of the Bible. As their pastor I also felt to reassure them
that God was going to give them a child and that when that child was born there
would also be a period of time in our church when many people would be born
again. This reassurance was not easy to
give since this couple had now been married for over 15 years and had been
unable to conceive - even with the help of doctors.
Then, near the beginning of 2014, it happened; after 22
years of marriage God's word came to pass and she became pregnant. At first their faith was again challenged
because the baby was born at 28 weeks old
and weighed a little under two pounds.
But God was taking care of things and their child needed no special
interventions as a preemie and now weighs almost 10 pounds!
For those who have never experienced modern day miracles or
supernatural encouragement from God this story may seem far-fetched, but for
believers it rings true. God has
promised to bring many people into a relationship with Him through the feeble
efforts of those believers who meet at the church I pastor, and now, every time
we meet our faith soars as we marvel at the baby that was promised years
ago. Maybe you are a believer and feel
like God has made you some promises. If
you pay too much attention to the world around you or the circumstances that
say otherwise, you may be tempted to lose faith. But rest assured, God is doing a great work in the earth! This story may not resonate with you, but we
lived it and I am convinced God is going to do everything He promised!
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