One of the ways
I like to get to know people better is by having times where I meet with them
one on one. I do this with the players I coach. One time I had a meeting with a
player toward the end of the season.
At the end of
the meeting, she told me that she would have avoided having a meeting with me
had I asked at the beginning of the season. I asked why? She said because she
was intimated by me because I seemed very serious. I then asked what changed?
She said she got to know me more and saw how I interacted with her and the
other members of the team. She realized that I was a very caring person.
Then, because I
like questions, I asked her how she would describe me. She said in one word she
would say caring. The next word she would say strict, but about soccer; and
that's a good thing for a soccer coach.
This got me
thinking about how other people would describe me to someone if they had to.
The next day I asked a co-worker how she would describe me. She said caring,
comedic, sarcastic, and generous. Some of the ways she described me I would have
not used to describe myself. It's not that they were bad things, it's just that
I didn't think of myself in that way.
It is
interesting to find out what adjectives people would use to describe us. The
thing is it is important to think about how they would describe us. We, who
call ourselves Christians, are labeled. People who know that about us will be
watching to see how we act. Are we loving? Are we loyal? Are we generous? Are
we a reflection of Jesus?
Matthew 5:16
says, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they
may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
We are to be a light, not a hindrance to the gospel. There's a saying that
goes, "you may be the only Bible someone will ever read." That should
make us think about our actions. We can say we love Jesus but if our actions
don't show it, why would anyone want to follow Jesus if we are the example?
That's why we must walk our talk. We must reflect on our actions and be a light
for Christ.
So, how would
people describe you? Are you being a light for Christ? If not, what can you do
to change that?
For those of you who know me you know I enjoy Disney
movies. One movie many people forget about is A Goofy Movie. In the movie Max
Goof is in school and feels like he is invisible and ridiculed. He wants to
stand out so a girl at school will notice him. To do this, he took over the
last school assembly and lip sang to a song by a famous artist in that world.
The song he sang was called "Stand Out." Most
of the song is about how a boy wants to be noticed by a girl. But there are
some lyrics that apply to our Christian walk. They are: "To stand out
above the crowd, Even if I gotta shout out loud." As Christians, we are
not to blend in. We are born again to stand out.
Romans 12:2 says, "Do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may
discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
We are not to be like the world. We are not to blend in. As Christians we are
to stand out and be transformed in God. We are to reflect his glory and light
each day, so others are led to Christ.
So, are you standing out as we are called to do? How do
you reflect God's glory each day?
Have you ever felt led or been asked to do something that
was out of your comfort zone? I'm sure you have. Did you do it? The answer you
gave depends on if it was a good thing or a bad thing.
Okay, let's tweak the question. You are asked to do
something you know is wrong. Do you do it? Before you answer, let's say you are
not just asked by one random person. Let's say you are asked to do it by a
group of people you know well. People who you want to impress, or that you
like. Would you do it?
The darkness of this world is strong. There are times
when it would be so easy to sin and follow the ways of the world. But is that
what we should do?
Picture that you are in a dark room. You are unable to
see anything. Then you see a small flicker of light. The light goes out then
comes back. It is almost like a match is being lit. Another small light appears
beside it. Then another, and another. More appear until you can see light all
around the room.
Each light in that room was small. But if you add each light
together it gets the whole room lit. We live in a world filled with sin. But
when we let our lights shine, when we choose to follow God and grow in him,
people see us reflecting God's glory. They wonder what is different about us.
Then, maybe their light will begin to shine for God.
So, are you choosing light or darkness? How are you
growing in God so your light can shine brighter for him? What can you do to
show God's light today?
If you know me,
you know I like Disney movies. One movie, that has some devil like elements in
it but has a good message, is The Princess and the Frog. There's a song in that
movie called "When We're Human." This song is sung by characters who
all have their focus skewed.
It starts off
with an alligator singing about how he wishes to be a famous musician. There is
no problem with going for your dreams. But he says everyone will bow down to
him. Who is this dream for? This is for him. It is not for God's glory it is
for his.
The next
character to sing is the prince who is a frog at that point in the movie. He
talks about how when he is human again, he is going to have parties every
night. He also talks about how the point of being on earth is to have fun. That
is far from the point of being on earth. The meaning of life is to make a
difference and reflect God's glory. If we try to do anything else, we will have
a void in our hearts.
The final
character to sing is Tiana. She is a waitress who is turned into a frog when
she kissed the prince. She talks about working hard for all she has. Sounds
good so far, but then she says: "If you do your best each and every day Good things are
sure to come your way." That sounds like logic as well. But the problem is
it is the world's logic. There are times that if we do our best good things
will come. Yet I know for a fact that I try to do my best each day and good
things do not always come. We fail because we are not perfect. If we were,
there would be no need for a savior.
What's the point
of all this then? The point is that we are human. We have a job to do. We
should do our best each day not for our glory but to reflect God's glory.
Matthew 5:16 reminds us of this: "In the same way, let your light shine
before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your
Father who is in heaven." That's why we are here.
So, are you
letting your light shine for God? How can you reflect God's glory today?
There are times
we feel like we are not special or unique. But God made us all different. He
made us all for a purpose. This is what the song "All of You" is about
in Encanto. Mirabel is the only member of her family without a special gift.
Yet, she still works hard to help her family.
Mirabel may not
have a gift that seems like a superpower, but she does have a gift. Actually,
she has multiple gifts. She is an encourager, she's creative, she's loving,
caring, strong, and so much more. Without her, the family would have cracked
under pressure and lost the miracle. She reminded them that they were all
special and loved even without their gifts from the miracle.
1 Peter 4:20
says: "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good
stewards of God's varied grace." Because of God's grace and love, we are
saved. He wants none to perish and he lets us be a part of his story. He gives
us unique gifts and missions so that all may come to know him.
This means that
not only are we unique and have gifts but anyone we meet is as well. God loves
everyone and that's what we are called to do as well. We are to celebrate our
differences and love others no matter what they do or say. That's the serving
part in 1 Peter 4:20. We are not given gifts to glorify ourselves. We are given
gifts to reflect God's glory.
So, are you
showing love to others? Are you using your gifts to reflect God's glory? How
can you show love today?
Have you ever
felt like you were not allowed to make mistakes? Have you ever felt pressure to
be perfect? Have you ever put a mask on because you felt like people wouldn't
like the real you? That's exactly what Isabella is feeling like. She sings all
about it in the song "What Else Can I Do?"
Isabella is the
eldest child in Mirabel's family. Her gift was she could make flowers. She is
called the "golden child" by Mirabel. She was viewed as beautiful and
perfect by many in the town. As the oldest, she was expected to marry and have
more children who would also carry on with new gifts to help the town.
That's a lot of
pressure. It's no wonder she sings this song. She made a flower that wasn't
perfect. It was sharp and different. There's a line in the song that says:
"What could I do if I just knew it didn't need to be perfect? It just
needed to be? And they'd let me be?" Isabella is crying out that she just
wants to be herself. When I was a teacher, I used to tell my students all the time that they should be
themselves because there's no one else like them. They are unique. I also tell
them it's okay to make mistakes. Mistakes help us learn and grow.
Psalm 139:14 says "I praise you, for I am fearfully
and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very
well." We are wonderfully made. All different. All unique. All loved by
God. God is so creative that he made each of us different. We have his
creativity in us.
Why should we
put so much pressure on ourselves to be perfect? We can never reach perfection.
We will fail if we try. God doesn't ask for perfection. He asks for growth. He
asks that we trust Jesus as our savior. He asks that we use the gifts he has
given us to reflect his glory. Why should be try to be like someone else when
God loves us just as we are?
So, are you
wearing a mask? Are you using your gifts to reflect God's glory? How can you
use your gifts to reflect God's glory today?
The opening of the movie Encanto is a song called
"The Family Madrigal." In the song, Mirabel tells village children
about her family. See the Madrigal family is special because most of them have
a special power.
These powers include healing, strength, the ability to
talk to animals, control of the weather, and more. Each member of the family
with powers has a job that helps the village thrive. And the village people are
grateful for what this family does for them.
You may not have a special power like this family, but
you do have a gift. Romans 12:6 talks about how we have spiritual gifts. It
says: "We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each
of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with
your faith." God created us all unique and gave us each a different
mission field. He gives us gifts to use for that mission and to reflect his
glory.
Think about it: you are so special to God that he gave
you the opportunity to be a part of His story. He gave you unique gifts and a
unique mission. Without you, someone may not be blessed. That's not to say that
God will not bless that person if you choose not to use your gifts. But it is
to say you have been given the opportunity. You are an important part of the
body of Christ. You are unique. You are loved. It is amazing to think about.
So, what are your gifts? Are you using them to reflect
God's glory?
In the movie trilogy The Lord of the Rings there is one character who seems to be not very good at his job and a little crazy. Denethor the 2 was the steward of Gondor. His job was to look after the kingdom of Gondor because there was no king. Now, if you've seen the movies, you know that Aragorn, a character in the fellowship, is the rightful king of Gondor. He just isn’t quite ready to take the throne.
Denethor the 2 had two sons. He favored the one over the other. He ate food while the people in his charge were under siege. He sent his second son, whom he treaded like a slave in some ways, out to face an impossible task. He refused to call for aid for someone to come help his kingdom. When his son came back injured, he didn’t have a doctor help him. He just assumed he was dead. Then, as the orcs entered his kingdom, he attempted to burn himself and his son alive.
Denethor the 2 was a very selfish man. He wasn’t using the resources he was given to help his people. Perhaps it was because he knew his reign as steward was coming to an end. Whatever the reason, he wasn’t doing his job.
Now that I've told you all about Denethor's shortcomings you may be tempted to judge him. Before you do that, check yourself. You are a steward as well. Maybe not to a kingdom, but you are a steward, nonetheless. 1 Peter 4:10 says, "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms."
God gives us gifts. In fact, he’s given us everything we own. Because he gave it to us, we don’t own it. We are borrowing it. God gave it to us to steward for the time we are here on earth. We can’t take it with us when we die. We only have it while we are here. Thus, we must treat what we have been given with respect. We must treat it as a gift.
So, how are you doing with stewarding what God has given you? How can you view everything you own as Gods and remember that daily?
If you haven't guessed by now, I enjoy writing. Well, I should say there are times I enjoy writing and there are times I need to write. By need to write I mean that writing is how I express myself.
I've kind of likened my writing expression to the song from the musical Hamilton. One of the lyrics says, "why do you write like you're running out of time?" That's how I feel when I need to write. If I don't get out that expression then, I will either forget that feeling or the words. Or I will explode depending on why I feel the need to write. Writing is one way I express not just my thoughts and feelings, but my creativity as well.
That's why I usually ask people who I meet this question: "how do you express yourself?" Some people express themselves just by talking. Others express themselves through science, art, or many other things. But the key is to find some way to express your creativity and emotions.
God created us. He CREATED us in his image. That means God is creative and the creator. Since we were created by him in his image that means we are creative as well. Even if you may not feel creative, you are because God made you. You just need to find what outlet you have for your creativity.
Now, if you are good at expressing yourself with your words you may not need to find an outlet. You may not need a way to tell others how you are feeling. But, if you have trouble with letting people in, with telling people how you are feeling, you must find an outlet. You must find a healthy way to get those feelings out. There are many ways to do that. You could write, paint, draw, do science experiments, work on cars, or whatever to show others how you are feeling. Then, you can tell others, "I created this so I can express this feeling I have."
So, do you have a healthy way of expressing yourself? What could you create for God today?
Have you ever asked the question: what is worship? The simplest definition I can think of is, praising God. Then, why do we think of worship time as just singing? Sure, worship can happen through song, but it can also happen elsewhere.
Worship can happen anytime, anywhere. You can worship in silence. You can worship by making sounds or listening to them. You can worship through dance. There are so many more ways as well. If there are so many ways to worship, how do we differentiate between worship and everyday life?
Romans 12:1 "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." We are to present our bodies as living sacrifices. When one sacrifices, they worship. We are to show love to others and love requires sacrifice. Thus, we can worship in all we do. We worship by showing love, reflecting God's glory, and we can do it through all actions.
It is also important to note that when we do things each day, we can use them as acts of worship. We must remember who we worship as well. Each selfless act we do, should be pointed back to God in an act of worship. We should not be prideful and accept the credit, we should credit God with our gifts and possessions because he's the one who gave us them.
So, how do you worship God? How can you reflect God's glory each day?
You know, our bodies are amazing things. One of the most
fascinating parts of our bodies is our brain. Scientists are still trying to
figure out our brains. One area they just cannot seem to figure out is our
thoughts. Sure, you can see reactions in the brain when we have a thought, but
you cannot know exactly what that thought is. I think that’s one reason why
thoughts are so powerful, only you can control them and only you know what your
thoughts are.
Whatever thoughts you think about, I am fairly certain
that you sometimes have trouble controlling your thoughts. How do we do that?
Can we do that? It seems even if you have the best intentions and wish you
could stop thinking negative things, they just come back up. I have found that
thoughts can be fit into a few categories.
Surface level immediate thoughts: things you think about
that don’t have much meaning. I mean, while I believe the thought, “I would
really like a chocolate milkshake” is an incredible thought it doesn’t serve
much in the long run (other than maybe getting a milkshake).
Surface level future thoughts: this is when you think
about things you need to do. Like get groceries or get some things done for
that project at work.
Intelligent intellectual thoughts: this is my way of
saying deep thinking. Most of the time, I feel, our brains don’t go into deep
thinking unless we are in school, in a thought-provoking conversation, reading
a book, etc. (could even borderline throw overthinking in here). An important
note, this type of thinking can be considered both good and bad depending on
what you are thinking about.
Negative woe is me thoughts: when it is a rainy day and
all thoughts you have are just bad. Like, can things get much worse thoughts?
Not very healthy thoughts.
Godly grateful thoughts: Not that things are always going
to be amazing in our lives but there is always something to be grateful for.
While there may be some other areas of thought, many of
them could probably fit into these categories. Looking at these categories, ask
yourself which ones tend to go through your brain the most? I’m not saying that
there is any wrong category to be in the most. It’s okay if you have all these
kinds of thoughts. But I’m saying you should not be stuck in just one of these
areas of thought. Well, not stuck in all but one.
Godly grateful thoughts should be where we land most of
the time. It would be amazing if we were stuck (not in a bad way) in that area
of thought. But I’m thinking that much of the time that’s not where your
thoughts land. I’m the same way. How then do we change our thinking so we can
have more Godly grateful thoughts?
First off, I want to remind you that it is possible to
change our way of thinking lest you be tempted to say, it’s impossible (which
you should not say as nothing is impossible with God). 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
says, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the
contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments
and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we
take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” See, Satan has this
horrid habit of trying to get into our brains. He likes to tell us lies. He
likes to deceive. He likes to detain us. I think that’s why Paul told the
Corinthians that they can take their thoughts captive. We have the power,
through Christ, to tell Satan to get out!
Now how do we change our thinking? We think about
“whatever.” What do you mean “whatever?!” I already think about whatever I want
daily and that hasn’t helped me! I mean we think of the whatever verse.
Philippians 4:8 says “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be
any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” These are the
things our thoughts should be focused on. Focused on Christ-like thoughts.
Focused on His word so we can refute the lies of the liar. Focused on the truth
about how God feels about us. Focused on reflecting God’s glory in all we
think, say, and do. Because, while we may not be able to see and know your
thoughts, there is someone who does.
So, do you have a problem with thinking too many surface
level or negative thoughts? What will you do to change your way of thinking? I
encourage you to make an action plan today to help you change your way of
thinking.
Have you ever thought about the gifts that God has given you? Everything you have from where you live to your talents was given to you by God. God is such a good father that he gives us these things. We have a choice in what we do with these things. We can choose to use them for ourselves or for God.
We can choose to use our humor to be vulgar and crass, or we can make others laugh and share the gospel (God created laughter and has a sense of humor, look at the platypus). We can choose to use the car we have to transport only ourselves, or we can serve others by giving them a ride if they need it. We can use our gift of cooking to exalt ourselves and flaunt our talent, or we can make food for others less fortunate than us. We can use our bodies to be provocative and serve our desires, or we can glorify God with them by using them to serve others.
1 Peter 4:10 says, "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." He says WHATEVER gift. That doesn't just mean we use what we have as extra. It means we sacrifice. We show the love of Christ who gave the greatest gift through his sacrifice by sacrificing as well. We take action to praise God for what he's given us and not ourselves. We take pride in who our God is by pointing to him through our actions.
So, who are you exalting? Are you showing God's love daily by using the gifts he's given you to reflect his glory?
One Thanksgiving I
sent out a blog that talked about how comparison is the thief of joy. That is
still true. We can look at what someone else has and say "I want that. I
won't be happy until I have that." This is the thief of joy. But, it goes beyond that. The wisest man who ever lived was telling us that we
need to be content with what we have before we even said "I want
that." In the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon talks about how many things are
meaningless. Here is the richest, wisest man in the world telling us many
things are meaningless. He had all he could ever want and yet he said pretty
much all of it was meaningless. Why? In chapter 6 Solomon talks about wealthy people. These people have much but
they never have time to enjoy it. Instead, when they die, someone else enjoys
their wealth. What is wrong with these wealthy people? They are not
content. These wealthy people look around and say I need that and I'll be happy. They
are not happy with what they have. They are not content. God gives us so much,
and yet we never seem to be content. Let me ask you this... when you die will
anything you own go with you? No! So then why are we always ungrateful for what
we have? This Thanksgiving I encourage you to look
at what you have. Take a lesson from the wisest man on earth and don't fall
into the trap of wanting more. Think about all that God has blessed you with.
Rather than choosing to look at what you want be thankful for what you have.
Remember to enjoy the special moments in life because, when we go to heaven,
it's not going to matter what you had on earth. What is going to matter is what
you did to reflect God's glory. So, will you continue to compare your possessions to others? Will you choose to
be content with what you have? Will you look around at the blessings you have
and be thankful? Will you reflect God's glory in all you do? I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving! Philippians 4:11-13, 1 Timothy 6:6-8, 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Certain ideas for this blog were pulled from the book by Jud Wilhite called The God of Yes.
It is quite amazing how God created everything. He made things that work so well that it boggles our minds when we find out how they work. On the fourth day of creation God made the sun, moon, and stars. He made the sun to light the day and the moon and stars to light the night. Now, the interesting thing about these items in the sky is how they get their light. The sun gives off light, just as all other stars do. But, the moon, does not give light through nuclear fusion like the sun and stars. How does the moon give light to the earth then? The moon is rock. What happens is the moon reflects the light of the sun. It's quite incredible if you think about it. God did not have to make anything that he made in the first place. He especially did not have to create the moon so that it would give us light at night. I mean, he already created light and darkness. Why do we need light at night when we should be resting? Perhaps God was blessing us with a reminder. 2 Corinthians 4:6 says, "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." See, like the sun gives off light, The Son gives off light as well. Like the moon reflects the sun's light, we are to reflect The Son's light. We are blessed to have eternal life though Jesus' work on the cross. However, just because we have eternal life does not mean our work is complete. We are called to make disciples of all nations (Mat.28.16-20). We are called to reflect God's glory to others just as the moon reflects the sun's light. So, are you doing your best to reflect God's glory? How can you reflect God's glory today? Image from here.
One day my co-teachers were mocking about how my
definition of fun is different from theirs. I was okay with that because I do
have fun but it's not the kind of fun they like to have. Then one said,
"oh but remember, she's a different person now because she has a
boyfriend." I was like, "I'm not different, I'm the same
person." She replied, "yeah you are, I'd never thought I would see
you with a boyfriend."
To be honest I was a bit shocked. I asked,
"why." She said because I never seemed interested in anyone. That's
when I realized that my coworkers didn't know me as well as I thought they did.
Now, I am a very open person. If someone asks me a
question, I answer honestly. But I realized that I didn't share about how alone
I felt at times. See, as Christians, we are to love others, reflect God's
glory, and spread the good news. But it's not always easy to share your
weaknesses. Especially when those weaknesses make others possibly question God.
I know that I'm never alone. I know Joshua 1:9 says,
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened,
and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever
you go.” I know that. But it's not always easy to feel that God is with you
when you wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep.
Usually I have found in those moments that I need to stop
focusing on my worries or fear. Instead I need to focus on God. I read the
Bible, pray, and change how I think. That made me not feel so alone.
So, when you feel alone, what do you do? How often do you
spend time with God?
When I played soccer in college there were 3 types of
goalies: goalies who really didn't know what they were doing/were new, goalies
who knew what they were doing and were cocky about it, and goalies who knew
what they were doing but were not cocky they were confident. I remember one
keeper in particular was particularly cocky. She would keep the ball at her
feet a long time until one of our players ran up to her and almost hit her. She
would yell in a mean tone at her teammates. She would run out at players to
scare them. She did more, but you get my point.
One day we were playing a game against them. It was our
Homecoming day and we had to defend our field. My team came out swinging. We
scored 7 goals that game against this keeper. She wasn't cocky that day. She
was angry. She was angry at her team. She came into that game thinking her team
was going to win and she would get another shut out. Instead she hurt her team
more.
That's the problem with being cocky: you think that you
are the greatest thing since sliced bread and you can't own up to your own
mistakes. Confidence is different. Confidence is different because of where, or
who, it comes from. If you are confident it is most likely because you are
doing something you've done for a long time. You have had practice because you
know what you are doing. But, did you know that you can have confidence in
everything that you do?
2 Timothy 1:7 says: "For God gave us a spirit not of
fear but of power and love and self-control." We have power in the Lord.
He walks with us each day. He guides our steps and wants us to follow him. If
we follow his ways we can have confidence that he is with us. Now, that doesn't
mean that we should be cocky because of this.
James 4:10 says: "Humble yourselves before the Lord,
and he will exalt you." If we exalt ourselves, then God will not exalt us.
Cocky is the opposite of humble. There's a very fine balance between being
confident in the Lord, yet humble, and being prideful. If we go around praising
ourselves all the time, that's not humility. If we expect things and people to
do things for us that's not humility, that's entitlement. You don't deserve
anything you have. The only thing you deserve is death. BUT (this is where hope
comes), because God sent his son to die for our sins we can have confidence. We
have been redeemed and that's why we can be confident. That's why we should
have confidence in the talents God gave us. That's why we should use our
talents to reflect God's glory. He deserves all the honor.
So, are you confident or cocky? Do you have confidence in
God or in your own abilities? How can you reflect God's glory by showing
humility today?
A coach is so much more than just someone who shows
someone how to play a sport. A coach is a teacher, sometimes a doctor, a
leader, an encourager, a friend, a role model, and so much more. One area that
I have found that coaches need to be more of nowadays is an encourager.
One year I was coaching a team that had lost every game
and we were halfway through the season. I saw a player sitting on the bench
after a game when all other players had gone home. I went up to her and asked
her what was wrong. She said she was discouraged because she felt she wasn't
playing well and she had never lost so much in a season. That's when I had to
put on my encouragement hat as a coach.
I reminded her that we were a brand new team. I had many
girls who hadn't played before. Many of the girls hadn't ever played with each
other before either. I said, because of my experience in soccer, I didn't
really mind losing. What I did mind is if we didn't put forth our best effort.
I then asked her if she had done her best in the game. She said,
"yes." I said, "that's all I ask."
I then pointed out that not only had she improve herself,
but we had improved as a team. We weren't losing by much anymore. And, we were
completing passes up the field in order to get scoring opportunities. I told
her "we will get there at some point. Stop doubting the team and your own
abilities. Try to focus on what we have accomplished as a team rather than what
we haven't. Make it your goal to get better every day. Then you will help us
reach our team's potential." She agreed and went about doing what I asked.
In life, we also will have doubts. We aren't perfect. We
are going to mess up. But, if we focus on what we cannot do or didn't do then
we are hurting ourselves. To make matters worse, we are not just hurting
ourselves but those around us who work with us and love us. These people care
about us and want us to succeed.
As if that's not enough if we doubt ourselves we are
hurting our creator. Philippians 2:13 says: "For it is God who works in
you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." God gave us our
abilities. He wants us to use them to reflect his glory. He doesn't want us to
grumble or complain about what we cannot do. If we fail or fall he is with us
to pick us back up. That's how much he loves us. That's why he doesn't like it
when we hurt ourselves by doubting our abilities. He gave us those abilities
and he wouldn't have done that if he didn't believe in us to use them.
So, do you doubt yourself too much? What can you do to
encourage someone today? How can you reflect God's glory today?
"You choose how much you give on the field. Be
motivated to give your best to make the team better."
I have coached at many different levels for soccer. One
time I was coaching a JV team. This JV team had many different level of
players. I had some players who had never played. Others had played for years.
Looking at my team's ability I knew I'd have to go back to basics.
One of the players on my team came to me about halfway
through the season. She said that she doesn't feel motivated or challenged in
practice. I asked her why she felt that way. She said she'd been doing
Brazilians and passing her whole life. She felt she was ready for the next level,
varsity. She also said she was having a hard time staying motivated during
practice.
Those things that she said didn't concern me as much as
the fact that she said she was having a hard time staying motivated. There are
certain things you cannot teach as a coach. One of those things is motivation.
I can't give my players a cup of motivation and it's taken care of. I can
encourage and I do. But, that doesn't always work for every player.
I talked to this player about what I was seeing and where
she needed to improve. Then I talked with her about motivation. If she's not
motivated in practice she needs to find a way to stay motivated on her own. She
needs to challenge herself. She needs to say I'm going to get at least 7 out of
10 touches back to my partner in this drill. Because, if she's not motivated,
she's not only not helping herself but the team as well.
In life it's the same way. Many of us go through our days
stuck in the same routine. We wake up, maybe eat breakfast, go to work or
school, come home, eat, do some things around the house, relax, go to bed, and
then get up and do it all over again. Doing that day after day may make it hard
to stay motivated. That's when you need to find a way to stay motivated. You
could help someone, encourage someone, or challenge yourself with something new
each day.
Another reason we should stay motivated is because we
aren't just doing the things we do for ourselves or others. We are doing them
for God. 1 Corinthians 15:58 says: "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be
steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in
the Lord your labor is not in vain." We are doing everything we do for
God. That should make us motivated to do our best every day.
So, are you stuck in a rut? How can you help someone
today? How motivated are you?
In soccer one moment can mean the difference between
winning and losing. The choices players make in games greatly impact their team
and the result of the match. As a goalie, I know many times I look back at
games and think about what I could've done differently. I do my best every game
but mistakes are bound to happen because no one is perfect.
My players know that I don't expect them to be perfect.
But, I do expect them to play their best for their team. In order to do that,
we've adopted this saying that we don't leave a game with regrets. Will the
players get tired? Yes. Will they mess up? Yes. But, that doesn't mean that
they should regret the way they play unless they don't do their best and put
the effort in.
This quote can also apply to life. I believe we should
live our lives without regrets. You choose how hard you will work every day. As
long as you try to do your best every day it will be very difficult for you to
have regrets. Will your best look the same every day? It probably won’t,
because every day you won't feel 100%. Yet, you can still do your best.
Titus 2:7-8 says: "In everything set them an example
by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and
soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may
be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us." These verses
tell us that we are to be good examples to others. We know if we call ourselves
Christians all of our actions will be scrutinized by others. That's why we need
to do our best. We need to try to live our lives without regrets, not for us,
but so that God's glory is reflected in us.
So, are you living your life with regrets? How can you do
your best every day? How can you reflect God's glory today?
Soccer is a very grueling sport. Some people who don't
know soccer or have never seen it played just assume that soccer is just
passing the ball up the field to score. Yes, the goal of the game is to score
in the goal but there is so much more strategy to it. What formation are you
going to play? Where are you going to play certain players? Should you contain
or step hard to the ball? Should you pass or shoot? There's more but I'll stop
there.
One area that I have noticed that is very difficult about
the game of soccer is the endurance it takes to stay in the game. I'm not
talking just running endurance. I'm talking body endurance too. For those of
you who don't know, soccer is a contact sport. Players need to take hits, some
harder than others, and still play the game. The only protection players wear
are shin guards. Thus, they get the wind knocked out of them a lot.
All of these things are the reason I began to say:
"your last one is your best one." This may seem strange. You may be
thinking, "wouldn't you want your first to be your best?" Yes, you
still want your first to be good but that's when you aren't so tired. I've
coached teams and been on teams that were doing well at the beginning because
they were not tired. Then they got tired and lost. If you don't do your best
through the whole game it doesn't matter how you do at the beginning of the
game. No one remembers about how you did at the beginning. It matters how you do
at the end. The result tells a story.
It's like this: when you first start a job you want to
prove yourself so you work really hard. Then as you are there longer you may
get tired of the trivial everyday tasks you do. If you start to slack off on
your duties what's going to happen? Do you think people are going to remember
you for what you did when you first started working there or how you worked
when you were there your last days?
Colossians 3:23 says: "Whatever you do, work
heartily, as for the Lord and not for men." If we are working for the Lord
then we should give our best all the time. Will our best be different on
different days? Probably, I mean if you are sick your best may only be working
as hard as you can even though your body is yelling at you. Nonetheless, we
should still give our best even if we are tired. Like I said before, people
probably won't remember how you started something but how you finished it.
1 Corinthians 9:24 says: "Do you not know that in a
race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to
get the prize." This verse brings home my message. If you run really hard
at the beginning of the race but don't do your best at the end you won't get
the prize. That's why your last one has to be your best. Because, when you
think to yourself, "oh I've worked so hard. I'll just slack off this one
time" that one time could cost you a lot.
So, do you work hard to do your best every day? Are you
running the race to win the prize? What area of your life do you feel you need
to work harder for God's glory?
