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COACHES AREN’T JUST FOR SPORTS

Have you ever tried to teach yourself something? It could be an instrument, a sport, how to fix a car…whatever it is, a lot of us have this independent part of us that wants to accomplish something all on our own. We want to be a “self-made-man” or to reply “I’m self-taught” when someone asks how we got so good at whatever it is. And in this golden age of YouTube, you can find someone explaining virtually ANYTHING you could ever want to learn…what a day to be alive!

But, here is something I’ve noticed in my life: Every time I’ve taught myself something, I may have been able to become competent on some level, but I was far from an expert. When I’ve finally gone and sought coaching or expert advice, that coach has always taken me to a new level (usually after they’ve had to fix some bad habits I picked up along the way while I was figuring it out on my own). And the more complicated the thing I’m trying to learn, the more valuable coaching becomes. 

Here’s why I bring this up: life is way too complicated to figure out on your own. That’s true whether you’re 16 or 60 – we all need coaches in our lives that can help guide us along the way. The trouble is, it can take real humility on our part to both admit we need some guidance and to listen to that coaching. We WANT to have all the answers, we WANT to be able to figure it all out on our own…but that’s just not the way life goes. If you want to live an amazing life – the kind that Jesus promised us in John 10:10 – it is going to require coaching. 

Now, if you’re convinced that you could use a good coach in your life, where do you find one? Well, if you’re plugged into your church or student ministry, you have access to several right there. There may also be people God has already placed in your life…parents, teachers, your team’s coaches…wherever you find Godly men and women in your life, those are potential coaches. The question is if you will accept their help and guidance – will you be honest with them about your struggles, will you ask for help, and will you take the advice they give? Only you can answer that, but I can tell you from experience it will be totally worth it! 

Read the following verses and ask God to show you the coaches He’s already placed in your life. Then, shoot one of them a text asking if you can talk sometime this week. When you do, simply tell them you want learn from them and to grow in your faith, and ask them if they’d be willing to help you with that.