“Then King David said to the whole assembly: ‘My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God.'” — 1 Chronicles 29:1
God Anoints the Faithful
Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri’s head football coach, is in a season full of firsts. He’s in his first season as the Tigers’ coach, and on Saturday evening he recorded his first win with the program — defeating LSU, the defending national champions.
Not only is Drinkwitz a fresh face in the Southeastern region, but at age 36, he’s also the youngest coach in the SEC and one of the youngest in Mizzou history. Prior to taking his current position, he led Appalachian State to a 12-1 record in 2019, his only year there. Finding success in the Sun Belt Conference, he made the jump to a Power Five school slim on head coaching experience.
Drinkwitz hears the noise about his youth and inexperience — potential knocks on him as he works on recruiting. However, being a devout Christian, Drinkwitz turns to Scripture.
“I must start by thanking my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” he said during his introductory press conference with Missouri. “Without Him, I would have no purpose in life and He has given me my direction.”
The career path of Drinkwitz reminds me of an Old Testament story. In 1 Chronicles 29:1 it says, “Then King David said to the whole assembly: ‘My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God.'”
The Lord often anoints those who are not the most qualified but the most faithful. Living life on mission will take you on paths that are deemed, from a human perspective, as “out of reach” based on experience. What I love about the Lord is He’s never bound by the world’s timeline. When God calls His child into a situation that will glorify Him, there are no hurdles too high to stop that plan from coming to fruition.
Many would call Missouri’s win over LSU an “upset.” However, God knew that the first win in Drinkwitz’s unique path would be nothing short of extraordinary. As Christians, we can sit back in awe of the Lord’s work and continue to strengthen one other in our unconventional journeys — not for personal gain, but for the Kingdom’s gain.
— Karlie Smith
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