The Perfect “Coach”

The Perfect “Coach”
By Shirley Mitchell
“To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.”
Job 12:13

My daughter Mikayla just finished her first soccer season on her middle school’s team. Her school is so small that they joined with another school to try to get enough players. They still needed players so although she is not in middle school yet, they let her play. When her Coach Caleb found out who her select soccer team’s coach was, he was thrilled to have her on the team but nervous because he knew how good he was.

At the end of the season pizza party, Coach Caleb started passing out awards with Mikayla, the youngest player from their school. He complimented her foot skills and sense for the ball, but he also shared how intimidated he was to coach her. In his opinion (and ours!), her other select team Coach Steve was the best girls’ soccer coach in the state.

See, Coach Caleb is just a father who loves his daughter. When his daughter took an interest in soccer, he learned all that he could to spend time, develop, and coach her. Although he has learned a lot, he doesn’t know as much as Coach Steve, who has played soccer for years, was the leader on his team, and has coached many successful teams.

Coach Steve knows how to play the game, develops the girls, acts with complete integrity, and displays the highest character. He knows the strategy of the game. He instructs the girls on positioning and develops their foot skills. He knows how to get more out of the girls than they themselves think they can do. He understands the mind of the young girls, too. He motivates the girls when they are down. He teaches them the difference between playing and competing. He knows they are easily distracted, and he reels them in again. Even though the officials may not call the game correctly, his temper stays controlled, his mouth never demeans anyone, and his tongue is never foul. He is fair, good, and caring.

The combination of his character with knowledge reminds me of what we need in people in leadership and power and more importantly, in a God. While God is much more than a coach, imagine with me for a minute what if God was not perfect in knowledge and understanding? What if time was a barrier for Him so He couldn’t see the future? What if He couldn’t understand your situation that you are in right now? What if He was learning how to be a god as He went along and was just leading us through life because He loved us since we are His children?

What if God was a god of bad character? What if He was exasperating because we could never make Him happy, and He was always disciplining us without love or worse abusive to us? What if He was arrogant, ego-maniac, or self-centered? What if He lashed out in anger and said things He regretted later? What if He promised us something then just changed His mind? Or I just shudder to think of this, what if He lied to us? Imagine the turmoil and ghastly ramifications of having a god like that. A god like that would never win my affection, adoration, or worship. I would never bend my knee to that kind of god.

However, because God is both perfect in knowledge and character and desires to guide me through life, it compels me to lift up my arms and shout “Hallelujah.” When I reflect on the contrast of what could be lacking in a god with who He is as a God, I am awestruck.

Today’s verse reminds you and me that God is not just a wise, powerful counselor with a lot of understanding. All four of those things belong to Him. The Hebrew word for belongs is used in this instance to indicate possession. Think about this. Our God owns and controls wisdom, power, counsel, and understanding. This marvelous combination makes Him a good God in whom we can fully trust for the outcome of any heart-rending situation, hotspot that we get into, and to guide us through life. Let’s take comfort in who the God Almighty is!

Pray with me: Oh, Lord, You are perfect in character and perfect in knowledge. You are our Counselor. Wisdom and understanding and power belong to You. You guide us with Your counsel, and afterward You will take us into glory (Psalm 73:24). Teach us Your ways so we may walk in Your paths (Isaiah 2:3b). Instruct us and teach us the way we should go. Counsel us and watch over us (Psalm 32:8). You are better than any human coach. You develop and conform us into the likeness of Your Perfect Son. You know exactly how to get to our hearts, how to motivate us, and how to get us to change. Thank You for being so patient with us and preparing us for heaven. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.

Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels Ministry