Finding Contentment: 5-Day Devotional for CoachesChikamu

The Secret to Being Content

In my work, I am fortunate to talk to coaches and leaders in sports every day, all day. It’s special, and I love nearly every minute of it. Now, people often ask me, “What do coaches struggle with the most?” 

Some might say, “Winning.” But I can talk to a team that is 19-2 or 2-19 and based on our conversation, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the two. This is because every coach wants to win more. 

Some might say, “Culture.” I can talk to a coach whose players show up on time, work hard, and don’t talk back, or I can talk to one whose people are late, give them attitude, and don’t compete. In either case, you still might not be able to tell the difference between them. The culture we want is never fully realized because we are always striving for more. 

Without a doubt, the biggest struggle that coaches (or any leaders) face is internal discontentment. Coaches in particular have a fear of complacency. It’s healthy to want to be better and to not accept mediocrity. But too many people let that desire steal their joy and take them away from the present moment. 

It’s a balancing act that makes me think of someone on an exercise balance board. They have one foot on either end of the board: on one side is discontentment and on the other is complacency. If you ever have been on one of these boards, then you know it’s really hard to gain balance as you constantly swing back and forth. 

So, how do we stay balanced? I’ve fought for years to find a balance of contentment in a life of moderation. But the desire for more and society’s message of “not enough” was still there. So, I started to work to find balance in being a “good person”. But when I found my value and self-worth in being a good person, I still never felt “good enough”. Why? Because sometimes, we have some pretty bad days! And even on our best days, we can still be “better”. Our value doesn’t come from our character. 

Paul tells us the secret to that balance, regardless of our circumstances, in Philippians 4:12-14: The way to contentment is through Jesus Christ. We need to surround ourselves with Him and be more intentional in this than ever because we are fighting cultural images all around us that are telling us we are not good enough, and we don’t have enough. 

We aren’t thin enough. We don’t drive a good enough car. We don’t have a big enough house. We haven’t achieved enough. 

That’s the message we are told every day, and our world is right. If we measure ourselves by and look for contentment in those areas, then it will never enough. We will never get enough of what we don’t need, because what we don’t need won’t ever satisfy us. 

So, remember it is only in Christ that we can find contentment.