Heart of a Coach Sample

Be Adaptable

Set
As the head coach at St. John’s University, I was on top of the world. It was 2003 and we had just won the NIT, I had co-authored a book, and I had made an appearance in a feature film. But a few months later, I was fired and completely out of coaching. I thought I would never coach again.

So my wife and I moved to Florida where we got plugged into a great church and the Lord really grabbed hold of my heart. After working some for ESPN, I was blessed with the opportunity to become the head coach at Florida Atlantic University. It was a big adjustment. When you coach at a smaller program like FAU, you have recruit kids that have usually stayed below the radar. You have to be patient. You have to give them time to mature as young men and as athlete.

The experience has taught me so much about adaptability and flexibility. Situations are always changing and if you can’t adjust, then the chances of you overcoming are not going to be there.

The Apostle Paul provides us one of the Bible’s best examples of adaptability. He was preaching to the poor and destitute one moment and going head to head with dignitaries and rulers the next. Paul became all things to all people in order to reach them all for the sake of the eternal Kingdom.

Following God’s path can take you down a road that will wind a lot, and it will take as much time as God wants it to take. Once you realize that you’re on His watch, you’ll see that He is teaching you patience and helping you develop the ability to adapt to any circumstance that you might face as a leader. – Mike Jarvis

Go
1. In the past, how well have you adapted to change?
2. How has God used that time of change to train and prepare you for something greater?
3. How might being more adaptable help you follow God’s path for your life?

Workout
1 Corinthians 9:19-23; 2 Timothy 4:2-5

Overtime
Father, thank You for being in control of my life. Thank You for walking with me through the long and winding road. Help me to be adaptable to your plan and to trust you through the changes. Amen.