The Greatest Commandment
Matthew 22:34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:
36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
At different times over my coaching career I have asked myself this question, "Why do I coach?" It seems to when I am in the valley. All us love to win. We all love to have those seasons where things seem to go just right. None of us get excited to go through the low times. You know the ones I am talking about. You look at your family and miss them. You have an athlete that seems to do everything you tell them not to do and nothing you do tell them to do. The wins are few and far inbetween. The list goes on and on. It is during these times we must cling to the word of God. In Matthew 22:34-40 we see exactly why we do what we do. Jesus tells the most important thing we are told to do is love the Lord with everything we have and then to love others as we love ourselves. Take a moment and think about the athletes on your team. How many of them come from "rough" backgrounds? How many of them hang out withe the "wrong crowd" in and out of school? Lets be honest, how many of them would go to hell if something unspeakable happened on their way home from practice? In the world of today's coaching we must not only think but speak about the unspeakable. God has you exactly where you are for a specific purpose. You are not only called but TOLD from the Creator of EVERYTHING to love each and every child on your team as you love your very self. How many of you have made sure you are going to Heaven when you pass away? In the upcoming seasons, when you ask, "Why am I coaching," remember you very well maybe the only example of Jesus the children on your team see.
