I wrote this for my sports website Coram Deo Sports a few months ago. I thought it was relevant to the Oprah discussion.
Deuteronomy 4:24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
God and jealousy don't seem like words that belong in the same sentence. Jealousy usually has a negative connotation. We usually think of jealousy in terms of envy and disdain. But God's jealousy is not negative. It is actually one of the most humbling compliments he could give us.
God's jealousy is a complex passion for our good. It is an intimate commitment to our well-being. It is a fiery refusal to be indifferent to our weaknesses and deficiencies. God refuses to sit by and
casually watch us settle for a mediocrity.
Coaches (good ones) provide an excellent picture of this type of love. Athletics are a microcosm of life. Pride and complacency are traps faced everyday. Highs change to lows in a matter of seconds. Selfishness is always threatening everything.
It is a coach's job to teach players to find a way to make the most of their individual abilities in the midst of the battle. The best coaches mix strength and gentleness, toughness and grace, the highest demands with great understanding. Coaches should have an intense refusal to allow their players to settle for less than their best, and at the same time love the players when they don't measure up. Coaches should get angry, not at their players, but for their players. The anger should be grounded in knowing what the players are capable of accomplishing.
This type of love cannot be given without deep knowledge of the players. Nobody can pretend to know what someone is capable of accomplishing. A fake will be identified quickly. Likewise, this type of love has to be sincere and unselfish. Virtuous jealousy is impossible with personal ambitions that outweigh value of the player.
So, next time you see Bobby Knight 'advise' a player on how to properly run motion offense or Bill Belichick gently reminding Rodney Harrison not to cheat, remember you're witnessing a glimpse of God's glory. He has chosen to reveal himself in the oddest of creatures - coaches.
1 comments:
This post had great meaning for me after reading the first eight or nine chapters of Romans last night. In one place, Paul says that our obedience is our righteousness. Then he goes on to say over and over that our FAITH is CREDITED to us as righteousness and uses Abraham as our example. He explains that our righteousness is from Christ, his death and resurrection, his perfect obedience. Not only that, he points out so many times our inability to fully obey, that the law was to make us aware of sin and our inability to keep the law, etc. He speaks of his own inability to do the good he longs to do and that he does the things he hates.
I don't know if anyone else will see how your illustration using coaches helps to resolve that seeming conflict, but it did for me. I hope someday I can read the Bible without having to fight the old perfection tapes in my head. Every scripture I read that was ever quoted me to support that teaching causes me inner turmoil to this day. And yet there are FAR more verses that point out its error.
I know God wants my best, but is fully aware of my limitations. I am so thankful for such a loving "Coach."
Post a Comment