“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you.” — James 4:7-8 (ESV)
Why is it that as we age and progress in sports, we listen to our coaches less and less? It seems that as athletes age, they feel like they know everything and have less and less to learn. I have to admit I was like that too.
In college, I had many blow-ups with my coach because I didn’t trust him and thought my way was better. It was an extremely challenging time for me; it took deep conversation with God to realize how prideful and disrespectful I was being. My behavior and attitude was inhibiting my ability to lead my teammates and grow as a player.
By submitting to my coach, it didn’t mean he was right and I was wrong. It just meant that he was the authority and I needed to respect that. To be great athletes, or businessmen and businesswomen, we need to demonstrate respect and obedience to authority. That starts with obedience and submission to the greatest authority: God.
As we submit and draw closer to God, we will see a release and ease to respect and submit to the authorities around us, be that our coach, boss or parents. Seek where you could be acting with more humility and obedience. As you do, you will find yourself drawing closer to God.
— Ryan DiNunzio
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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