R E A L P O W E R

In which part of your sport do you have the greatest sense of strength or power? Maybe it’s in the weight room, maybe during drills in practice, or even on game day when it’s all on the line. How central is that feeling to your enjoyment of the sport?

In Psalm 147 and verses 10 and 11 we read about where God senses power and strength. It reads, “His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor His delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love.”

It seems that God is impressed with neither the normal measurements of strength nor the usual vessels for power. Neither the strongest horse nor the fittest athlete really brings Him pleasure. Rather He is deeply pleased by those who respect and trust Him.

Most coaches are like this too. They might seem impressed at first with the very talented player, the powerful athlete with strength and speed, but if you hang around with them you’ll hear stories about their real favorites. They are the ones who “bought in” and trusted their coaches. They are the ones who built unity among their teammates and gave themselves up to make the team better.

Good coaches, like the Lord Himself, find pleasure and take delight in the players who show respect and display trust. Make that your aim in today’s competition and you’ll be exhibiting real power and strength.