“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22 (NKJV)

Coaches are teachers. Their job is to instruct players. Great coaches work hard to prepare their players for competition. They study their opponents, and come up with a game plan to produce the best possible outcome. Great coaches are constantly looking for ways to improve. But for all the hard work and effort great coaches give, it’s meaningless if their athletes don’t respond.

Imagine a coach doing his or her best to teach the team, preparing them for competition and then, once the athletes got in the game, they all decided not to do what they had been taught. The team likely would be unsuccessful.

Sometimes we know what we are supposed to do because we know what God’s Word says. But we just decide not to do it. God wants us to read His Word and listen to Him, but if that’s all we do, then we are forgetting the most important part. It’s in doing what He says that we let the world know that Jesus loves us, died for us, conquered sin and death, and wants a personal relationship with us. Keep listening to God, and make sure you take action as well.

— Lydia Vandenbergh

OneCoach, part of the Sports Spectrum Network, is an international community of coaches and spouses who have been uniquely gifted and called by God. Visit OneCoach.org for more stories and videos.

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