This is the fifth blog in a five-week series celebrating FCA’s YouVersion plan Still Pursuing the Dream, a celebration and reminder of the messages, guidance and godly wisdom Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. relentlessly pursued in his dream of standing for racial equality, love and justice for all. Be empowered to remember his legacy and live out biblical truth as Christian coaches and athletes.
Pursue God's Will
“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” -- James 1:22 NLT
Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “Life’s most persistent question and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” I am imagining this statement must have played a role in Dr. King’s life as he was a voice for others who were hurting and underrepresented. Dr. King grew up with the influence of a father, who was a preacher with a sixth-grade education and a mother who was a college-educated teacher.
He leveraged the educational opportunities he had growing up as the son of a preacher and a teacher to impact his community and his country. While there were many challenges during his life, Dr. King showed that he was not just a hearer of the Word but a doer of the Word. He allowed the call on his life and the message of the Gospel to propel him forward in a movement of actions towards nonviolent protests and pursuits of equality for all people, especially those in the Segregated South during the ’50s and the ’60s. He proved he was a doer of the Word!
I remember the day I received a call from a parent whose daughter played on my oldest daughter’s, Shelby’s, travel soccer team. She had no idea what I had been struggling with prior to the call. My internal struggle then was the time I was spending on the sidelines of a soccer field rather than in the sanctuary of my church on Sundays. But, during that call, she asked me if I would pray with the girls before each game and give a short devotional.
I was caught off guard at first but then realized perhaps this was God answering the inner struggle I was having and providing me an opportunity to “walk the talk” in a very practical way. After praying about it, I followed the Holy Spirit’s leading and said yes. That was an amazing year as I watched not only the girls respond to the Word of God, but I witnessed the parents do so as well. God has given me so many opportunities since then to answer the question “What are you doing for others?”
As a coach’s wife, I understand a coach’s job hinges on success in the win column. I have witnessed firsthand the countless hours coaches and athletes put in for the success of their teams.
But what always catches my attention is how the coach lives his or her life and what they do with the opportunity they are given to impact the lives of their athletes not only on the field but most importantly off the field.
by Darlene Johnson
Darlene is currently serving as the Board Chair for FCA's Board of Trustees. She was elected in January of 2020 and is the first female African American board chair and the second female in FCA history to lead the board. Darlene currently resides in Maryland with her husband, Craig, who previously coached for the New York Giants. Currently, he is a senior analyst for the University of Maryland’s football team. They have two adult children, Shelby and Sydney.
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Still Pursuing the Dream
Read Previous Days:
Read Week One: Pursue Love
Read Week Two: Pursue the Ministry of Presence
Read Week Three: Pursue Knowledge and Understanding
Read Week Four: Pursue God's Heart
-FCA-